"This was Sri Lanka’s first major overseas military deployment since World War II, the government had dispatched over 1,000 troops since 2004 to Haiti to strengthen the puppet regime installed by the US. While our troops were a part of a so-called UN peace-keeping mission, the purpose of the operation was in the interests of the US. The US and its allies had organised a coup to overthrow a regime of elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and installed a puppet regime. It was to serve this regime, Lanka had sent its soldiers," JVP Matara District MP, Jinadasa Kitulagoda told The Island yesterday.

He said that a contingent of 700 soldiers, belonging to the Gemunu Regiment, who had been deployed in Haiti earlier, had been paid only two months after their return home.

"I have discussed the issue with President Mahinda Rajapakse and also forwarded a written request on behalf of those aggrieved," he said.

According to latest available statistics of the U.N. Administrative and Budgetary Committee, the cost of UN peacekeeping hit a staggering 5.4 billion dollars in each of the two years, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. The current budget is projected to rise to nearlyto 7 billion dollars, and the surge in peacekeeping operations had placed a strain on the organization.

Meanwhile, the government has announced that another contingent of troops and officers of the Sri Lanka Infantry will be sent to Haiti to assist in peace keeping activities. This time, the contingent would be selected from the Vijayaba Regiment. 270 officers and 3,882 soldiers had served in peace keeping activities in Haiti since 2004.