THE US government, pledging her continuing support to demining tasks being successfully undertaken by Army Engineers, donated a new stock of safety equipment for the use of Army deminers, engaged in humanitarian demining work in the North.
The gifted stock containing visors, parts of helmet that can be used to cover eyes and face while demining and Deminer Protective Equipment, the kit that covers the whole body of a deminer, was handed over recently to Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, Chief Field Engineer by acting US Deputy Chief of Mission Mr Edward P Heartney during a brief ceremony at Sri Lanka Army’s School of Engineers, Embilipitiya.
The visiting US diplomat, Mr Heartney, commenting at the occasion profusely commended the Army for its commitment to accelerated demining work and the ongoing resettlement programme. The US government, was prepared to extend further assistance to the Army Engineers for their humanitarian demining projects in the future, too since Army Engineers were performing a commendable job in the North, the US diplomat has reportedly told the gathering.
Chief Field Engineer, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara acknowledging the donation on behalf of the Army recalled previous gestures of US support given to the Army for commencement and expedition of Army spearheaded demining projects in affected areas. Here are excerpts of his speech on the occasion;
“This bright morning marks one more important phase of Sri Lanka’s ongoing de-mining work, which has now drawn the international attention, particularly in the aftermath of the successful completion of the 30-year long cycle of terrorism that immensely impeded our country’s growth and prosperity. War is always short-lived but its repercussions, as we ourselves presently experience, are always more dangerous and demanding. The War, this man-made disaster, not only claimed so many precious lives in our island, but also shattered our hopes for a peaceful and decent living, too. The de-mining process itself needs meticulous handling as the terrorists have spread them everywhere as they wished, in many cases on the perimeters of human settlements where they too took cover to strike against armed forces.
We, all as Sri Lankans have now realized the vanity of violence and are jointly trying hard to tread on the path of re-building, reconciliation, rehabilitation and redevelopment. The Army Engineers on the other hand, in close alliance with other government and non-governmental agents are now enthusiastically embarked on those development-oriented projects, to ensure living standards as well as the living milieu of resettling people are promoted, providing necessary blanket of security, free from explosives and other buried mines, etc. That has become the prime responsibility of the Army at the moment since that itself is the long-term wish of the entire nation, devoid of ethnic differences.
Soon after the victory over terrorism, the government with confidence turned to us in its search for technical assistance and manpower to tackle the most pressing and urgent challenge of demining, which has been set in motion by then by the Army Engineers in the northern areas outside the theatre of fighting. As you all know, resources that were available to a country like ours in the field of unearthing mines and other explosive devices were meagre and the country continued to lack expertise in this novel sphere of demining. It was at this juncture of momentum, the Army received the whole-hearted cooperation of the US government, which in response directed the RONCO to help us in this direction. The consultations provided by the RONCO, needless to mention again, opened new vistas for demining training of Army Engineers. It was a disguised blessing in a way. Their overwhelming support for our demining work with dispatch of batches of experts to Sri Lanka on a regular basis further strengthened our bilateral understanding and goodwill. The noble perception for restoration of normalcy after ridding minefields from residential and other surroundings became the top on the agenda. The US support at that hour of need begs no descriptions but certainly deserves laurels.
Not only that, the US creating a notion of historical importance in the field of demining, offered us the services of demining dogs for the first time in Sri Lanka. This was a unique feature and motivated our Engineer troops a great deal. Their instinctive role accelerated our ongoing demining work and added new dimensions to the arduous task of demining. The Army recalls these humanitarian gestures of the American people with gratitude and respect, since that assistance arrived at the precise moment of our need.
Your Excellencies, today’s handover of a new stock of humanitarian demining equipment to Army Engineers, needless to repeat, will enormously promote the Army’s determination and dedication for the total elimination of those buried lethal equipment. Your continuing assistance, I must underline, educates and further encourages our deminers working hard in the field. Demining technology, associated with constant surveillance methods continues to undergo new innovations day by day and this prompts Army Engineers also too promote their skills simultaneously as the prime mover in the field of country’s demining. The equipment, the US government offering us today, are to be taken to Northern Wanni areas for immediate expedition of demining work in progress. Those areas in fact await such humanitarian help with open arms.
Another facet to the whole project is the marked increase of Army manpower for demining projects in the Wanni as the government’s development programme for the north, ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ got underway with an accelerated pace, attracting more and more displaced people for resettlement. Our support for this noble task continues to receive support from other international donors too, but the assistance, exclusively extended by the US right along deserves our appreciation and commendation. The equipment, you gave us today are not just steel monsters, like any other machinery but are a set of invaluable symbols that contribute to make this world a better place for all of us to live a life, free from explosives and die a natural death. The Mother Earth on the other hand will equally be pleased with our work since we are helping her too indirectly to maintain her ecological balance undisturbed.
I wish to take this opportunity as Chief Field Engineer of the Army to warmly welcome Your Excellency, Mr Edward P Heartney, acting Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy officials and all senior officers to our School of Military Engineering at Embilipitiya, on behalf of the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya who also joins me to convey his warm greetings to the US delegation to this landmark event. Similarly, let me also extend our best wishes and greetings to American people on behalf of the Army, without whose support all these projects would have not been a possibility.
I thank you very much once again and wish you a pleasant stay in our Sri Lanka School of Military Engineering.”
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