Democratic Cadres urge medical tests for rehabilitated LTTErs

Manjula Fernando

Democratic Cadres, a political party consisting of ex-LTTE members yesterday urged not to politicize alleged incidents of mysterious deaths of rehabilitated LTTE cadres, which had been referred to the Government for action.

Party spokesman C. Chandralingam told the Sunday Observer that they had sought Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne's intervention to investigate and carry out medical tests on all ex-cadres to verify these claims.

Chandralingam, said some political figures have requested that medical tests be carried out by foreign medical experts since they could not rely on local doctors and this was not a time to make such calls. His party first raised the matter that some hundred cadres who were rehabilitated before being reintegrated into society, have perished in the past several years under mysterious circumstances. They have also expressed concern about the death of LTTE Women Political Wing Leader Thamilini who was diagnosed with cancer and treated at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital.

There have been claims that ex-LTTE members were given suspicious vaccinations during their rehabilitation process and it was having an adverse effect on them.

Military Spokesman Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera vehemently rejected these allegations at last week's Cabinet briefing at the Information Department.

Democratic Cadres, set up under the leadership of the former Uthayan newspaper editor Nadesapillai Vithyatharan (Vithi), the only non-LTTE cadre, has written to the Health Minister on August 2 and is awaiting a response.

The New Indian Express revealed that the provincial Health Minister of the Northern province Dr. Sathyalingam has also promised to medically examine ex-LTTE cadres, while TNA member Suresh Premachandran has called for foreign doctors to carry out examinations citing credibility issues. He has decided to move a resolution at the Northern Provincial Council on August 9.