Ruling party to raise 'trusted' guard?

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 December 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President has asked Parliamentarians of her party to provide at least twenty five well trusted persons each for raising a special force of 1500 to protect the city of Colombo. She made this request a few days ago when she met PA MPs for a discussion.

Sources said that she had promised that none of these personnel would be sent to the war front in the northern and eastern parts of the island.

The severe difficulty in finding able bodied Sinhala youths who are willing to fight the Eelam war has compelled the government to take this measure said sources. The new force will come under the security command structure for the city of Colombo under Maj.Gen. Jaliya Nammuni.

The 1500 are for raising an additional battalion for the Sri Lanka National Guard and to beef up its 17- Battalion which was raised recently with only three rifle companies. The SL National Guard is a territorial unit which cannot be moved from one area to another.

Hence the President's assurance that youth who join the National Guard will not be sent to the war front.

An insufficient number of National Guard together with 4th Engineers (volunteer), the armoured corps and other special units are deployed in the city currently.

The SL army and intelligence appear to think these are not enough to protect the city from the Liberation Tigers.

The 112 Brigade under Brigadier Gamini Gunasekera which was in charge of city's security when the Galadari bomb went off has been redeployed in the peripheral areas of Colombo now.