COLOMBO: FOREIGN Minister Rohitha Bogollgama has urged the UN to acknowledge the success of the humanitarian mission of the Sri Lankan armed forces to rescue the thousands of civilians who had been held hostage as human shields by the LTTE in the former no-fire zone (NFZ). The dire predictions made by certain elements of the international community of an impending "humanitarian catastrophe" and a "bloodbath" did not materialize, due to the timely and effective action of the security forces to launch the largest hostage rescue mission in history, to free the civilians from LTTE captivity. The Minister made these observations when the Chef de Cabinet of the UN Secretary General, Ambassador Vijay Nambiar called on him at the Foreign Ministry Monday (18).
Ambassador Nambiar arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday, ahead of the official visit of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to the country later this week at the invitation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He discussed details of the Secretary General's visit with Minister Bogollagama and noted that when the visit had been planned, it had been in the backdrop of a different context of thousands of civilians being held hostage by the LTTE in the NFZ. However, today, when all civilians have been freed, the immediate concern of the UN is for the welfare of civilians who have been displaced and are being accommodated in the IDP centres and welfare villages. The UN is keen that the IDPs would be able to go back to their original places of habitation expeditiously. In this regard, Ambassador Nambiar noted that the UN would be able to assist in de-mining operations in the North.
Foreign Minister Bogollagama informed Ambassador Nambiar that the latter was the first international visitor that he is meeting in the immediate aftermath of the Government's success in defeating terrorism in Sri Lanka. The Minister said, "Today, terrorism is a matter of yesterday". Sri Lanka welcomes a visit of the UN Secretary General at this historic juncture in its history.
Referring to the situation in the former NFZ, the Minister pointed out that had the security forces not intervened to rescue the civilians, the consequences could have been disastrous. He noted that repeated calls by the international community to the LTTE to lay down their weapons and surrender, and to release all the civilians, had fallen on deaf ears. It is now opportune for the international community to focus its attention on the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts of the Government in the North, in the post-conflict scenario. Sri Lanka would expect the UN System to extend its fullest support to the Government in undertaking this endeavour.
Meanwhile, the outgoing US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O. Blake paid a farewell call on Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at the Ministry today (18 May 2009). Ambassador Blake informed the Minister that he had arrived in Sri Lanka at a time when the security forces had commenced their operations against the LTTE following the closure of the Mavil Aru sluice gates in July 2006. He noted that he was completing his assignment in the country at a historic moment, when the LTTE has been militarily defeated.
He said that the US will continue to support Sri Lanka's humanitarian relief efforts for the large number of civilians who have been displaced by the conflict in theNorth. He hoped that these people would be provided with the best possible care in the IDP centres and welfare villages, until their resettlement in their original places of habitation.
Ambassador Blake underlined the importance of a process of reconciliation and healing in the aftermath of the military defeat of the LTTE. He said that there is a great opportunity now for the Tamil people in the North to freely choose their leaders and if the Government takes effective measures to empower the people in a meaningful manner, such action would erode overseas Tamil support for terrorism. (Courtesy: Foreign Minister)
