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UN Coverage: Sri Lanka's Challenges

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake speaks at Asia Society, Sept 24, 2009. (Elsa Ruiz/Asia Society)

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake speaks at Asia Society, Sept 24, 2009. (Elsa Ruiz/Asia Society)

NEW YORK, September 24, 2009 – Rebuilding Sri Lanka after 25 years of civil war will require resettling thousands, encouraging foreign investment, and preventing a resurgence of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake.

The war between the government and the LTTE ended in May 2009 after the military reportedly killed Tamil leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. “Sri Lanka suffered for almost three decades of destruction from terrorism by the LTTE,” said Wickramanayake. Despite victory, he said, “residual effects and related problems remain.”

Speaking at Asia Society headquarters in New York, the prime minister said resettling internally displaced persons (IDPs) is the country’s largest post-war challenge. However, he made clear that a full resettlement will take time. “You cannot have a solution overnight,” he stressed. Wickramanayake said an estimated 280,000 still remain in internment camps, as a result of the conflict.

“It is not an easy task to provide welfare to these people all at once... yet we accepted this challenge," he said. "Today, the [displaced] are being resettled systematically and efficiently.”

In an effort to expedite the recovery of the war-torn north and east, Wickramanayake called on the international community to boost investment in the island nation. “We need the support and cooperation from nations that can afford to,” he said. The prime minister stated that the government has already begun substantial reconstruction projects in the two regions.

Wickramanayake also called on nations to help Sri Lanka clear the large number of mines scattered throughout the country’s north. “Terrorists have planted landmines in playgrounds, holy sites, farm fields, and roads,” he said. “We are not ready to push our people onto these death traps.”

“Accept that we have a big problem,” the prime minister urged, “ and help us.”

In a question-and-answer session moderated by Asia Society’s Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl, Wickramanayake addressed allegations of human rights abuses by the military and criticism of the government’s treatment of displaced Tamils. The Sri Lankan government and the LTTE have both been criticized by the United Nations over alleged human rights abuses during the conflict. Wickramanayake bluntly denied allegations of human rights abuses, saying “no crimes were committed by the army.”

When pressed by Metzl to clarify under what conditions the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) would be allowed access to internment camps, Wickramanayake would only say that he supported the ICRC's work "to the extent that [they] will not disturb the normal peace and tranquility that remains within the camps." However, he would not provide any specifics.

Reported by Jamal Afridi, Asia Society Online

Users' Comments

Siir Dinle | 08:09:10 10:30am

Sri Lanka's Challenges hopefully fullfill. I believe any country can change his sarrow.

balu | 06:22:10 12:21am

Hi guys, nice website, I am an Indian and a kannadiga , we kannadigas are like sinhalese people taking care of these tamils in our own state since so many years. A lot of controversies are there between karnataka and tamilnadu regarding so many issues. But still il say lakhs and lakhs of tamils are provided shelter in bangalore city where we the kannadigas have become the minorities. I dont say that all tamilians are bad, but there are a few fanatic idiots who are trying to create controversies. I m really frank to say that we kannadigas we try to learn all languages and be united with all people, but these majority of tamils who are staying in our state do not know kannada and wont learn it either . I say that majority of fanatic tamils where ever in the world they go they try to colonize build their own kingdom and never respect the home state. I clearly reckon that most tamils do not have a feeling that they are Indians first and tamils later, It really feels odd to see some old fanatic politicians that they have running states. So tha tamils should first learn how to adapt to a land that they are staying in and stay together with people rather than conquering the whole land. Again well done Srilanka, -- Jai Bharath, Jai Srilanka, Jai Tamils, Jai Karnataka

kannan | 06:13:10 12:56pm

Mr.Mudaliar u r right, All moderates have become extremist after encountering with prejudiced successive singlese government. all the gandhian way of fighting failed in the island nation. First they will singn an settlement and agreement but they will not make that into an enactment or law instead they will pass the time at last they will fly the things in the air. You have not experienced the hallucination at their hands chuvanist. Being in india and enjoying full and equal freedom makes you to write like this. I am cent percent confident the present president of sl RAJA PAK she will pass the time by conducting elections and other things instead of finding a political solution giving equal rights to all its citizens. He will not bring in any amendment in the constitutuion or rules or regualtions because he do not wants tamils to live their life with dignity and equality. he do not wants tamils to have political party instead he is planning a system where tamils can join only in major two singelese parites. Tamil areas will be settled with southern rural singlese and tamil village names will be changed as if it is singlese name. This all will be done in course of time systematically with help of indian government.

K.S.MUDALIAR | 06:13:10 12:51pm

We have to get the histroy of lanka first, Tamils are the natives of this island which is called kumari kandam, major areas of which were submered under sea, only a tiny portion now called lanka as per tamil literature silapathikaram and in other literatures. Singlease are the people who migrated from kalinga (present day INDIAN STATE OF ORRISA) during 5th century in the remostest corner of the lanka that is in the south of island which is dense forest and without any civilized human habitation and only vedders (in tamil means hunters)lived in forest who collect honey lieved a simple life( Lord Skantha,or subramanya or , muruga,or kadirvela - second wife VALLI I is from kadirkamam area of lanka island, the first wife deivanai is from tamil nadu ) , . These immigarated singlese from orrisa had mingled with these veddas and formed a governmnet and called themselves as singlese. Singlese are not pure enthinc entity as they have mixed with the orgin veddas, hence partly they are tamils as well. But no singlese will agree that they are from orissa, because orrisa is not a developed state unlike any other indian state like punjab,gujarat,maharstra so they do not want to identified as orriya people and feels ashamed even though their language and culture being similar to orriya but they proudly claim as they are from india. (since India being a dominant in these region, other wise they would claim their origin to Europe aryans) For long they were ruled by tamil kings of eelam and by indian tamil kingdoms of cholas, pandayas and cheras (present day kerela). later, portukese,dutch,british took control of whole island and when british announced independence singlese and tamils agreed to live together as one nation instead of two as been before. By course of time they changed the constituion of the nation with singlese as the only official language and buddism as state religion, the depriving the tamils, out of jobs, education, business and religious and cultural freedom. since then problem started peaceful agitation failed and all agreement signed were thrown in the air by successive singlese government resulting in the civil war. Now the present president Shri.Rajapake wants all native tamils to be wiped out of the island nation first and second the indian tamils who lives in plantation tea estate will be done in second. So he started the movement for changing the name of tamil places into singlese and started SETTLING THE SOUTHERN RURAL SINGLESE PEOPLE IN TAMIL AREAS. ALREADY THIS WORK IS COMPLETED IN TRINCOMALLE ONCE IT WAS 100% TAMIL NATIVE AREA NOW TAMILS BECOME MINORITY AND SINGLESE BECOME MAJORITY THERE BECAUSE OF ITS STRATEGIC HARBOUR AREA. All the remaining tamils areas being settled with singlese in fast phase, The immigrient kalinga people are now asking tamils to go away to india or else face death there in systematic way through starvation, geonicide etc. The world cares about only PALASTIANS, BOSNIANS,KOSOVANS,TIMORENS not these poor innocent tamils. RUWANDA/ SRI LANKAN genocide are the worst thing happened to humanity in this century, if unchecked will spread to other totalitarian regions of the world, further this genocide shows that unfit people heading UN (kofi anan/BAN KI MOON), Ratnasiri is a great lier what he utters is real warms,They are not bothered about deaths of tamils of mines instead they do not want the people to settle in their own lands which they want to used for army and settlemtn of southern singlese. with deep sorrow. K.S.MUDALIAR./ CHENNAI.

Suvetha Loges | 07:15:10 10:18pm

* First of all British rule evoked havoc wherever it went. Therefore, much fault lies in the hands of the British. Secondly, Tamils are living in grief because the outside world is blind to the brutality we have faced. I'm a teenager who wasn't even born in Sri Lanka, therefore THERE'S NO BIAS ATTACHED TO THIS. Having said that, stop blaming one another, that's the exact reason to why the issue escalated to this point. In war there's no good or better; both are equally at fault. Right now, Sri Lanka doesn't need anything more than a proper legal system that ensures equality. Until that comes, us Tamil civilians will face pain and be stripped of the rights we're naturally entitled to. Lets not act like we're 2 years old and wish ill upon others, use profanity against or criticize the Sinhalese. It's this type of mentality that has lead us to this state in which we're deprived of everything the Sinhalese have. The bad Rajapaksa does will haunt him, no need to worry about that. Let's do our part in advocating and fighting for this issue. However, any of you that disagree with me, feel free to disagree but I can't see the LTTE running Sri Lanka. Any leader that picks up a gun to fight for an issue won't hesitate to use that gun when he's power is threatened. An LTTE run government would be daunting to both communities and at the end of the day, Sri Lankans would be stripped of wealth and a chance to live. Everything happens for the best. Better days are to come, till then R.I.P to our fallen soldiers whether they fought by the LTTE's side or fought through the brutality of this war.

Suvetha Loges | 07:15:10 10:19pm

I forgot to mention in that last post, I agree with you Muralidhar.

Suvetha Loges | 07:15:10 10:20pm

* Mudaliar, my bad.

Orchard | 05:19:10 04:24pm

It is reassuring to see that the 25 year war of terrorism between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government is finally coming to an end.

Chandrasena Pandithage | 03:10:10 02:26pm

Do You think the Sinhalese living in Colombo are living with the peace of mind? No, never. Any time they can be taken by police or Army even by white van. These are the ways the of Capitalist governments treat the people. The real international community should know this. No freedom for Tamils under LTTE period they use children by force for their human bombs. The so called international community use Tamils as their Koolise and spread all over the world. Still they are suffering in some other countries. Their are lot of Tamils in South Africa still the natives and White call the koolies or Bananas. This International community were the one who chase out our last Tamil King was elected by the sinhalese high ranking officers those days. The white community said those days Hay Sinhalese cant you see the Tamils cruelty? This Tamil Dogs must be in the cage not in palace. As they said the imprisoned the King in a small cage. If anybody like to see it , you can see it at close to Ceylinco Building Fort. Still the whites use this tamils as political koolies in Sri Lanka and destroy the high Quality Tamils lives too. Stop this nonsense and protect innocent and respectable Tamils lives. The Tamil boys who don't like to marry Tamil girls without high dowry are the one who destroy Tamils freedom. Stop all the internal oppressions create problems in Tamils mind set.

Chandrasena Pandithage | 03:10:10 01:51pm

We are Sri lankan Sinhalese. We dont use the word 'Sinhalese' to attack any other Nationalities in this country or other country. We have highly respectable Tamil Muslim and Sinhalese people and the low grade people.

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