Arms on menu as S.Lanka defence spending rises 28 pct
Source: Reuters
By Simon Gardner COLOMBO, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's government plans to use a budgeted 28 percent increase in defence spending for 2007 to help beef up the military as it battles Tamil Tiger rebels amid renewed civil war, officials said on Friday. A volume of official budget estimates obtained by Reuters on Friday showed the planned increase was for the acquisition of capital assets such as machinery, equipment, vehicles and contingency services as well as for higher pay for servicemen. President Mahinda Rajapakse made no mention of defence spending figures in his abridged budget speech to parliament on Thursday, but the budget estimates document shows defence spending will rise to 139.56 billion rupees ($1.29 bln) in 2007 from a revised 108.67 billion rupees in 2006. Defence spending is up 45 percent when compared to the earlier unrevised figure for 2006. "Right now the requirement of strengthening the air force, navy and defence sector becomes very paramount. National security comes first," said government defence spokesman and cabinet minister Keheliya Rambukwella. "When the sovereignty of the state is threatened it has to be safeguarded," he said. "Defence professionals will have to look into (what to buy) -- basically what you need to defend the country." Military sources said the navy was likely to look to replace Israeli-made Dvora fast attack boats sunk in recent naval battles with the Tigers, as well as buying more ammunition and weapons systems. "We already know they are acquiring four more Mig 27 fighters, so similarly there will be other armoured vehicles for the army and ships for the Navy," said Iqbal Athas, an analyst for Jane's Defence Weekly. "They need some because they have lost some fast attack (naval) craft in battle." Athas said Rajapakse's sharp increase in defence spending marked a departure from previous administrations. "It becomes significant if you look at the past, particularly with the two previous administrations, which sought a de-escalation with the ongoing peace process. All of a sudden we see a diversion from that and an escalation," Athas said. "The government is preparing itself militarily. There is a marked shift there." More than 3,000 civilians, military personnel and rebel fighters have been killed in Sri Lanka this year alone amid a spree of military clashes, massacres and extrajudicial killings in the worst violence since a now-tattered 2002 truce. Nordic truce monitors have accused both sides of repeated offensive attacks and ceasefire violations. Many analysts and ordinary Sri Lankans fear the fighting could escalate into a full-blown return to a civil war that has killed more than 65,000 people since 1983. (US$1 = 108.275 rupees) (Additional reporting by Ranga Sirilal in COLOMBO)
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