News

DATE=8/10/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-236810 TITLE=LANKA/US TRAINING (L-ONLY) BYLINE=VANDANA CHOPRA DATELINE=COLOMBO CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: SRI LANKAN POLICEMEN ARE BEING TRAINED BY THE UNITED STATES IN ADVANCED ANTI-TERRORIST PROGRAMS. VANDANA CHOPRA HAS THE DETAILS FROM COLOMBO. TEXT: US EMBASSY OFFICIALS IN COLOMBO SAY THE TRAINING PROGRAM IS BEING ORGANIZED THROUGH THE ANTI-TERRORIST ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OF THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT. THE EMBASSY SPOKESPERSON SAID 15 SRI LANKAN POLICEMEN HAVE BEEN SENT ON A SIX-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM TO THE LOUISIANA STATE POLICE ACADEMY TO LEARN HOW TO DEFUSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXPLOSIVES. ANOTHER GROUP OF 24 POLICEMEN ARE ON A 3-WEEK COURSE AT A FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER IN GEORGIA, TO LEARN SKILLS TO PROTECT VITAL INSTALLATIONS. IN THE PAST, TAMIL TIGER REBELS, WHO ARE FIGHTING AGAINST THE SRI LANKAN GOVERMENT, HAVE TARGETTED KEY INSTALLATIONS, TRANSMISSION TOWERS AND TELEPHONE EXCHANGES IN AND AROUND COLOMBO. POLICE OFFICIALS SAY THE COURSES WILL ENHANCE POLICE CAPABILITY IN COMBATING THREATS POSED BY BOMBS AND PROTECTING CIVILIANS AND CIVILIAN-RUN INSTALLATIONS. US OFFICIALS SAY ADDITIONAL TRAINING COURSES FOR SRI LANKAN POLICE OFFICIALS ARE BEING PLANNED LATER THIS YEAR. THE UNITED STATES HAD EARLIER SENT SEVERAL SPECIALIZED UNITS TO SRI LANKA TO TRAIN MILITARY OFFICERS AND ALSO REGULARLY OFFERS TRAINING PROGRAMS TO SENIOR OFFICERS IN ITS DEFENSE ACADEMIES. LAST YEAR, THE UNITED STATES BANNED TAMIL TIGER REBELS AS A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE GUERILLA GROUP TO RAISE FUNDS IN THE UNITED STATES. SINCE THEN, DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND SRI LANKA HAVE IMPROVED. TAMIL TIGER REBELS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR A SEPERATE HOMELAND FOR MINORITY TAMILS IN SRI LANKA'S NORTH AND EAST SINCE 1983.(SIGNED) NEB/VC/PLM 10-Aug-98 8:37 AM EDT (1237 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .