SLA 'ready' to help Pakistan

The army in Sri Lanka says it will be happy to give military training to members of its Pakistani counterpart.

It says a request for this has come from Islamabad because of Sri Lanka’s military success in defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels, a process which was completed in May with the announcement of the end of the decades-long war.

The new commander of the army, Lt-Gen Jagath Jayasuriya, told the BBC that Pakistan had already asked if it could send its military cadets to the island for training with a focus on counter-insurgency operations.

“We’ll give a favourable response,” the army chief said.

Specialist courses

He said the Sri Lankan military envisaged specialist courses lasting up to six weeks, directed towards small groups from interested armies.

Gen Jayasuriya said there was external interest in how the military had defeated the rebel group in practical terms.

The army now wished to construct a written military doctrine in English.

He said Sri Lanka had offered similar training, through diplomatic channels, to other countries including the United States, India, Bangladesh and The Philippines.

He dismissed reports that the Pakistanis might receive military training in newly recaptured parts of northern Sri Lanka, saying it would be more likely in the south-east.

But he does say new permanent military bases will be set up in those northern areas including the rebels’ former headquarters, Kilinochchi.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan have long enjoyed warm relations.

In late May Pakistan, like India, China and Russia, helped Colombo defeat a motion at the United Nations which would have criticised both the government and the rebels for allegedly violating humanitarian law during the war.

But India, which is highly influential here, might well be uncomfortable at this news of the Pakistanis’ interest in being trained.