US doctors reject Northern Province Chief Minister’s request to examine ex-LTTE cadres

A request made by the Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran from the United States doctors visiting Jaffna, to conduct medical examinations on the rehabilitated LTTE cadres, has been rejected by the doctors, TNA Provincial Councilor M. K. Shivajilingam said.

The Chief Minister has requested the American doctors to examine the former members of the LTTE to verify whether there is any truth to the allegation that the ex-LTTE members were injected with a toxic drug during their rehabilitation and as a result over 100 ex-cadres have mysteriously died.

Shivajilingam said the Chief Minister stated in the Council meeting that when he asked the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Atul Keshap about American doctors conducting the tests, the Ambassador has agreed.

According to him, the Chief Minister had made the request on 16 August, when Ambassador Atul Keshap visited medical clinics conducted by doctors attached to the U.S. Air Force for the general public in the Northern Province.

However, when the Councillor, through the secretary of the Chief Minister produced a group of rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres last Saturday to the U.S. doctors when they started the medical clinic in Idaikkadu, the doctors have refused to conduct the tests.

The U.S. embassy has informed that the American doctors were unable to fulfil the request because they did not have necessary facilities to conduct such medical tests, Shivajilingam said.

The Councillor told the BBC Sinhala Service that the Northern Provincial Council will make arrangements to subject all rehabilitated cadres to comprehensive medical examinations to verify the allegation.

He further said that the Council will continue the program launched by the Provincial health Minister and if necessary foreign countries are ready to provide assistance.