• Lanka rebukes UNICEF for being soft on LTTE 
• Tea talks in lraq amid US protests 
• LionAir cargo plane falls into Air Force hands 
• Bipartisanship for Indo-Lanka free trade 
• BASL tells Romesh to give affidavit 

Lanka rebukes UNICEF for being soft on LTTE

By Nilike de Silva

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar told Mr. Glennie on Wednesday that UNICEF was the "Conscience of Humanity" but was adopting what he called was the "soft option" when it came to reporting on the LTTE's mass recruitment of children in its war with the Government's Security Forces. 

The rebuke was sparked off following an interview the UNICEF boss had given Reuter's news agency where he had claimed that Sri Lanka had done little to protect children caught up in its war.

He had been asked what he meant by his claim and was referred to recent references at the UN General Assembly's Third Committee meeting in New York last week by UN Secretary General's Special Representative on Children in Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu.

At the UN Mr.Otunnu (who visited Sri Lanka in May this year) had said that diplomatic and political pressure must be brought on even non-state actors who are systematically abusing children and women.

Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN John de Saram had earlier protested Otunnu's references to the LTTE and Mr.Otunnu giving the terrorist organization "state" status, something Mr.Otunnu later clarified by saying he has not intended giving the LTTE such an exalted status.

Mr. De Saram said, "Sri Lanka, while deploring the forced conscription and use of under-aged children in armed combat, itself strictly complies with the provisions of the Army Act, No. 17 of 1949, relating to recruitment. The minimum age of recruitment to the armed forces of Sri Lanka is 18 years, and such recruitment is done entirely on a voluntary basis. The Government of Sri Lanka requires no reminder to adhere to the law and practice in this respect that it has always scrupulously adhered to as a sovereign State, and even in the colonial era."

"The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka brought to the notice of the Special Representative, the traumatic experience of 26 children, some as young as 13 years who had been forcibly conscripted, trained and armed by the LTTE and sent to engage in combat with the armed forces of the Government of Sri Lanka.

"The Government of Sri Lanka feels that it is time for the Special Representative to make a public statement about this abomination. The evidence is clear. It is not a time to be silent." 

At Wednesday's meeting in Colombo Mr. Kadirgamar said that UNICEF in Sri Lanka was dragging its feet in reporting LTTE recruitment of child-soldiers. He warned Mr. Glennie that unless they set the record straight, Sri Lanka would be reporting UNICEF to the UN General Assembly next year.

The UNICEF Chief had responded saying that his organization was interested in keeping a line open to the LTTE so that they could obtain information about activities in conflict areas. 

Mr. Glennie declined to speak to The Sunday Times about his meeting with the Foreign Minister saying he had to go to Bentota.

Tea talks in lraq amid US protests

US Ambassador Shaun Donnelly met Mr. Wickramaratne earlier this week and discussed his visit. It was clear that the US was more than unhappy at the visit, Ministry sources said.

The Government has decided to send the high-powered delegation, after one cancellation earlier on the advice of the Foreign Ministry, following an assessment of the tea export industry. 

According to Ministry sources the Iraqi government has been displeased that Sri Lanka has not sent its Trade Minister to discuss resumption of tea exports after the US backed UN sanctions were relaxed and tea was removed from the embargoed list.

Tea has been classified as food under the amended sanctions. According to Iraqi sources Sri Lanka is reported to have lost upto US dollars five billion (Rs. 300 billion) in tea sales over the past few years due to the embargo.

India, Vietnam, China and Indonesia had been beneficiaries of the lifting of the tea embargo. They had sent their trade ministers to Baghdad while Sri Lanka vacillated due to US pressure, Ministry sources said.

It was well known in the tea industry that certain Sri Lanka teas were exported to Iraq via Jordan during the embargo but bigger firms restrained themselves from the exercise.

Libya in the meantime has taken up the issue of embargoes at the UN General Assembly. Most of the developing countries backed the resolution for the lifting sanctions.

LionAir cargo plane falls into Air Force hands

By Shelani de Silva

SLAF chief Jayalath Weerakkody told The Sunday Times the deal had already been wrapped up and transport of military cargo would begin soon. 

He said the lease agreement had been signed by the Ministry of Defence and the SLAF has taken possession of the plane last week, while payments would be made according the to the number of flights.

Air Vice Marshal Weerakkody said LionAir had nothing to do with the deal which was worked out by the Defence Ministry, and the Russian company that owned the cargo plane.

Asked whether the Air Force had plans to carry military personnel also on this plane, he said the Antonov 26 had an altitude problem and it might not be safe to carry personnel.

The Air Force move comes in the aftermath of the recent incident where a LionAir passenger plane from Jaffna to Colombo went missing with its 48 passengers and seven crew. 

Meanwhile, LionAir director Chandran Rutnam told The Sunday Times they had cancelled the contract with the Russian company for the cargo flights. He said they had written to the Civil Aviation director seeking permission to resume Jaffna-Colombo civilian flights from November 9. 

Since the ill-fated plane went missing, passenger flights to and from Jaffna have been paralysed. In Jaffna on Friday more than a thousand people protested against the lack of transport to and from the North and the alleged destruction of the LionAir plane.

The protest organized by the EPDP took place opposite the Kachcheri with residents carrying placards asking the government to resume transport facilities to the North. EPDP leader Douglas Devananda said the government should at least resume the ship service to relieve the suffering of the stranded people.

Bipartisanship for Indo-Lanka free trade

Addressing the American Chamber of Commence recently at the Colombo Hilton, Mr.Wickremesinghe called upon the Government to take up the offer that Indian Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee made at the SAARC summit last July.

"This is a golden opportunity for Sri Lanka which has a $800,000,000 trade deficit with India. We should look not merely at trade concessions. We should aim at Sri Lanka and India becoming one free trade area within a decade. We should evolve a bi-partisan approach and the UNP is willing to cooperate on this issue. The Minister of Foreign Affairs who chairs the meeting of SAARC Foreign Ministers can take the initiative," he said.

A foreign office spokesman welcomed the UNP leader's call for a bi-partisan approach in this area, and added that the Government would be sending a delegation led by Presidential Economic advisor Lal Jayawardane, to New Delhi shortly for negotiations.

BASL tells Romesh to give affidavit

By Ayesha R. Rafiq

The resolution, moved by T.G. Goonaratne, seconded by Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, and passed unanimously said: "The Bar Council hereby authorises and empowers the president to give an affidavit in respect of all matters where he has gone public pertaining to the unlawful and illegal arrest of High Court Judge Mahanama Thilakaratne."

After a long and heated discussion centering on Mr. De Silva's position and a statement made by former BASL president Desmond Fernando, a resolution proposed by Eardley Perera that the council has confidence in Mr. de Silva was objected to by K.S. Rantanvel who said proper notice had not been given.

Faiz Musthapa said he had advised the BASL president not to give an affidavit as these were matters where the confidentiality of discussions he had with government officials is involved.

Mr. Warnakulasuriya said the BASL president had made media statements on the matters where he was required to give an affidavit and if there was any confidentiality principle, he should not have made statements. He said Ranjith Abesuriya who was appearing for Mr. Thilekeratne had said an affidavit from the BASL president in fundamental rights issue would strengthen the case. Thus he felt Mr. de Silva should give the affidavit. 

Mr. Abesuriya said he has never known or had ever appeared before Mr. Thilakaratne. He was of the view that he was requested by the BASL president to appear for Mr. Thilakaratne and the BASL fully supported him. Mr. De Silva never gave him a limited mandate and if so, he would not have accepted it, Mr. Abeysuriya said.