Over 200 LTTE cadres who have been listed as missing by their relatives are actually hiding abroad, claimed Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera.
Mr Samaraweera told journalists that though some Tamils may still be searching for their missing child, husband or brother, those listed as missing had actually smuggled themselves overseas during the final stages of the armed conflict in May 2009.
Large sums of money were paid to an unnamed Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence official, he added though did not elaborate any further on the details. An investigation into the matter was underway, he stated.
The minister made the claim, as he defended the passing of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Bill, which Sinhala critics have protested against, adamant that it will be used to persecute members of the Sri Lankan armed forces. Mr Samaraweera though dismissed the notion, and instead it was needed to demonstrate to the international community that the Sri Lankan armed forces are not responsible for abductions on the island.
“They tell the world the army is behind the disappearances, but we don’t know who is behind,” BBC Sinhala Service quoted the minister as saying.