An advanced party of the first-ever Sri Lankan contingent of troops for the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations left the Sri Lanka yesterday for Haiti aboard a special UN flight, which arrived from Nepal with an advanced party of around 120 soldiers for the same mision.
The Sri Lankan contingent commanded by Lt. Col. Tissa Jayasuriya consists of 120 soldiers which includes 14 officers, mainly from the Ceylon Light Infantry (CLI) The rest of the battalion is expected to leave the country in the early part of october. The full Sri Lankan contingent will be commanded by Col. Amal Karunasekara.
This battalion will be engaged peace keeping operations in Haiti for six months after which a battalion from the next senior-most regiment will replace them, which is likely to be from Sinha regiment.
At a coulourful ceremony at the BIA prior to their departure the flag bearers took their positions in front of the UN contingent in blue berets and the flags were handed over to the contingent commander Lt. Col. Tissa Jayasuriya.
The National flag by the Army Commander Lt Gen Shantha Kottegoda, the UN flag by former Commander of the Army Gen Lionel Balagalle, the Sri Lanka Army flag by the Chief of Staff Major Gen Chula Senaviratne and the regimetal flag of the CLI by Colonel of the regiment and the Security Forces Commander of the East Major Gen Nanda Mallawarachchi.
After handing over of the flags by the Generals to the contingent commander, the troops marched past the children and soldiers who were waving Sri Lankan and UN flags as hundreds of family members and friends who had come from faraway places to see their loved ones off watched with misty eyes.
Commander of the Battalion Col Amal Karunasekara
said the advanced party will make all the necessary arrangements and preparations before the full complement Sri Lankan troops arrive there.
"We have the best for the mission in Haiti" he said adding that in choosing their ability, discipline and track record have been taken into account", he said.
The experience gained by the Sri Lankan troops in engaging in a twenty-year civil war gives them an advantage though their mission is not to go in for battle, he said.
Army Commander Lt Gen Shantha Kottegoda said if a permanent peace is achieved in the country, Sri Lanka would be able send more troops for peace keeping operations. "Other than the much needed foreign exchange earned by the country, we wil also gain intrernational recognition".
He said the former Commander of the Army Gen Lionel Balagalle played a pivotal role in getting this opportunity for our trrops when he was the commander.
Prior to the main ceremony religeous ceremonies of all faiths were held for the Haiti bound soldiers by the respective priests.
The Sri Lankan contingent will be deployed in the headquarters in Leao Gne, Kilk and Peti - Goave all locations west of the Capital Port-au-Prince, Col Karunasekara said.
Certain other parts of Haiti are flooded but Sri Lankan troops will not be deployed there. Altogether 6,000 troops will be deployed in Haiti on the Peace Keeping mission with contingents from Neapal , Brazil , Peru, Chile, Argentina and a contingent from the Canadian AirForce. Overall Commander of the troops will be Brazilian Major General Preira.
Our troops will be paid a stipend of 1028 US dollars per month with 68 dollars for clothing and five dollars for a personal weapon and 10% from the congingent who are specialists in tvarious disciplines such as doctors , engineers e.t.c. will be paid an extra 303 dollars , What is unique is that all in the contingent are paid an equal stipend said Col Karunasekara.
