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UN Coverage: Sri Lanka's Challenges

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

Angilee Shah | 09:24:09 04:37pm
Excuse me, Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Angilee Shah | 09:24:09 04:35pm
Mr. Prime Minister, Can you comment on the Emergency Regulations and Protection Against Terrorism Act (PTA)? They are quite broad, but appear to be designed to help the government fight terrorism. Do you believe they are be used solely for that purpose, particularly in light of the detention, conviction and sentencing of journalist JS Tissanaiyagam? When does the government plan to end the state of emergency, and are there any efforts to change these laws? Thank you.
Anonymous | 09:25:09 02:36pm
Do not forget that LTTE misused everything possible in their evil course....and Tissanaiyagam seemed to be one of that tactical part of LTTE who worked for LTTE in the guise of a journalist.But he could not escaped unpunished
Anonymous | 09:25:09 05:28pm
yeh right!..anyone who voiced dissent or object is a LTTE supporter...i guess the late singala publisher Lasantha was a LTTE supporter...you guys will never wake up and thai is the problem.....like the saying goes, you can wake someone who is truly asleep, but you cannot wake some one who is pretending to sleep....keep pretending and keep your head in the sand -- the view must be pretty good!
Anonymous | 09:24:09 12:33pm
Many neutral countries and organizations - including Human Rights Watch, the US State Department the EU and UN have all expressed deep concern about the plight of the internally displaced persons as well as the war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government the during the war. Does the government believe these organizations are deliberately conspiring to distort the facts and why does the government believe that it has virtually no support for it's version of the facts other than from Iran, Libiya China and other human rights abusers?
SLFireBall | 09:25:09 12:34pm
On what basis you paint "Iran, Libiya China" as Human Rights Abusers? Doesn't that apply to USA, EU for their actions in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Anonymous | 09:25:09 02:43pm
You are absolutely right SLFreBall. Some people just repeat what US and Europe countries say....They always believe what those countries say is correct.May be low-minded...The reality is that US and Europe want disstabilise the other countries and therby exten their powers through interferance.
Kenneth Abeywickrama | 09:23:09 05:15pm
Dear Mr. Prime Minister: Both the EU and America are engaged in a War on Terror spanning most parts of the globe and they had banned the LTTE, a terrorist organization described by the CIA as among the most brutal in the world. Yet when the military leadership of the LTTE was cornered by Sri Lankan forces, they did a turnaround and made desperate efforts to sustain them. Now that the LTTE is finished in Sri Lanka, the LTTE is gaining political influence with Western governments who are in regular meetings with them and their front organizations. What has Sri Lanka done to earn the wrath of the West? How can Sri Lanka, a small country, placate the powerful Western nations?
Simon Baker from Hollywood, California, 90028, USA | 09:23:09 01:29am
Hi! This is Simon Baker from Hollywood, California, USA. Dear Prime Minister Wickramanayake: The evidence we have gathered clearly show the hand of the international LTTE behind the fake video, the media frenzy that followed, ridiculously false war crimes charges and calls for probes of non-existing human rights violations, all directed against Sri Lanka which fought a war against the most brutal and internationally funded Tamil Tigers. What advice can you give the Sri Lankan community around the world on how to respond to them? Will the GoSL take legal action against institutions and their agents who knowingly commit fraud to harm the reputation of Sri Lanka? How do we deal with the vast number of Western politicians on the LTTE payroll trying to dismember Sri Lanka?
Anonymous | 09:26:09 03:06pm
dont support for LTTE or GoSL, More and more inncoents young young childrens and women are being abducted, brutually raped and murdered, every day .you dead corps being found, more than 80000 dead, many lives still dying due to illegal abduction/torture/rape/murder/lack of food nutrition/shelter. are they all LTTE? those under aged gals who were solicited/raped by srilankan army force while in haiti as un peacek keepers. are they all young gals members of LTTE. These young babies dying lack of food. shelters being bombed. GoSL should be proscuting criminals for the worst crimes commited the worst criminals and not awarding with high posts in GoSL , in army/navy/police force. It is time to change attitude, change. bring those criminals from all forces involved these crimes , behind bar. bring light.

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