Sri Lanka: UNICEF under investigation in Sri Lanka

Monday, 26 November 2007

COLOMBO (SNM) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is being investigated by Sri Lanka's Finance and Defence Ministries on charges of importing 'combat rations' to be supplied to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The cargo of dry rations has been confiscated by customs officials at Colombo Port who suspected that the food items may have alternative uses. The ultra-Sinhala-nationalist JVP has demanded that the UNICEF be prevented from operating in areas administered by the LTTE.

UNICEF officials in Colombo say that he dry rations were snacks that are distributed to UN staffs around the world to consume in emergency circumstances.

The Sri Lankan government which says UNICEF's explanation is not satisfactory, has started its own investigations.

Relations between the UN agency and the Sri Lankan government have been patchy since the former exposed Sri Lankan military personal collaborating with the paramilitary Karuna Group to abduct boys as young as 12.

Last week two foreign workers of the UNICEF were expelled from the country for demonstrating against the slaying of local Red Cross workers by the country's military.

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