Privileges for Tigers renouncing violence

Foreign employment an option for LTTEers surrendering to Forces:

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: The Government is committed to see that LTTE cadres willing to surrender to the Security Forces and Police will not be isolated in society and that their right to life is ensured, Government Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday.

The Minister said the Government is focusing on LTTE cadres willing to give up the path of violence and surrender to the Security Forces and the Police by providing them foreign employment.

"Mechanisms are put in place to welcome suicide cadres willing to surrender to the Security Forces and the Police," the Minister added.

He admitted there is a mechanism to compensate these suicide cadres and provide them with overseas jobs, referring to news reports about offers made for suicide cadres to surrender.

"There may be mechanisms by Government authorities to compensate them," Minister Rambukwella said.

Initially the Military and the Police denied any Government involvement in the poster campaign but Minister Rambukwella said yesterday that there is such an arrangement by the Government.

"It was due to a communication problem we denied the fact," the Minister added. However, the Minister said there are standard procedures that have to be followed when implementing this decision.

The Minister said the Government is continuing with its programme to train LTTE cadres surrendering to the Security Forces and the Police with two such training centres functioning in Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Forty eight LTTE cadres who surrendered to the Security Forces in Jaffna too are being rehabilitated at a Centre in Jaffna, he said.

Rambukwella said as Minister in-charge of Foreign Employment he focuses on youth surrendering to the Security Forces and the Police in the North and East as Sri Lanka will not be able to cope up with the demand for its labour force.

"The North East will be a very good opportunity for meeting that demand," the Minister pointed out.

"Our intention is not to kill innocent Tamil civilians. We are looking at them on humanitarian grounds making sure that they are settled down permanently with a solid income," the Minister added.