Cluster bombs

“We will not breach internationally accepted standards “, said minister Rambukwella.

Responding to a question as to why Sri Lanka is not among the signatories, Minster Rambukwella said that he will have to refer to the Foreign Ministry for a specific explanation but it was not uncommon for a country not to sign a treaty.

“There have been so many treaties that have not been signed by all countries and others that have taken years to ratify a treaty” said Rambukwella.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian S. Gajendran reportedly, urged the International community to condemn the Sri Lankan government for deploying cluster bombs against civilians in Vanni.

More than 100 countries have begun signing a treaty to ban current designs of cluster bombs at a conference in Oslo, Norway.

The weapons scatter small bomblets over a wide area, posing a lasting danger to civilians if they don't explode straight away.

Campaigners say the treaty is a breakthrough but among many of the biggest stockpilers of cluster bombs are the United States, Russia and China which have not signed the treaty.

Washington says it's tackling the problem by developing bombs with greater precision and low failure rates.