LTTE soldiers in Sri Lanka. Tamil Tiger rebels are still getting weapons smuggled from Cambodia, which are fuelling spiralling unrest in Sri Lanka, a security journal reported. (AFP/File/Prakash Singh)Mon Jul 23, 2007
PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Tamil Tiger rebels are still getting weapons smuggled from Cambodia, which are fuelling spiralling unrest in Sri Lanka, a security journal reported.
"Cambodia is one of the most significant single sources of weapons for the insurgent group," Jane's Intelligence Review said in a report published online last week, without naming any sources.
Interior ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak acknowledged Monday that some weapons might still be getting to the Tigers, but said any smuggling would be small-scale.
"There could be some bad people involved.... We would like information to lead us to the offenders," he told AFP.
"We are victims of weapons, so we don't want people in other countries to suffer the same crisis," he said.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been fighting Sri Lanka's government for an independent homeland since the 1970s in a conflict that has claimed more than 60,000 lives.
Weapons from Cambodia had filled Tiger arsenals in the past, but officials here had assured the Sri Lankan government that the arms trade has stopped.
Cambodia remains awash in arms after decades of civil war. But the government has made efforts to reduce its caches, destroying about 230,000 weapons so far.
Still, porous borders and poor policing have made Cambodia an attractive base for traffickers of various kinds of contraband.
"Cambodia is one of the most significant single sources of weapons for the insurgent group," Jane's Intelligence Review said in a report published online last week, without naming any sources.
Interior ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak acknowledged Monday that some weapons might still be getting to the Tigers, but said any smuggling would be small-scale.
"There could be some bad people involved.... We would like information to lead us to the offenders," he told AFP.
"We are victims of weapons, so we don't want people in other countries to suffer the same crisis," he said.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been fighting Sri Lanka's government for an independent homeland since the 1970s in a conflict that has claimed more than 60,000 lives.
Weapons from Cambodia had filled Tiger arsenals in the past, but officials here had assured the Sri Lankan government that the arms trade has stopped.
Cambodia remains awash in arms after decades of civil war. But the government has made efforts to reduce its caches, destroying about 230,000 weapons so far.
Still, porous borders and poor policing have made Cambodia an attractive base for traffickers of various kinds of contraband.
1 comment:
Investigate the SEA Pirate KIng TEA Vin, the famous PHKAY CHOR in Ream, and yo will know all the ring members who run the veapon smuggling to Sri Langka and other neighboring Contries.
Post a Comment