WB undertakes local projects worth US$ 900

The World Bank, in addition to development projects already scheduled until the year 2012, will undertake a series of development activities in Sri Lanka including in the North and East, Country Director, Naoko Ishill said.

The World Bank has allocated US$ 900 million for the implementation of these projects.

She said these projects will cover a series of development activities covering areas such as dam safety and water resource planning, integrated community development, national and provincial road development, irrigation, maintenance and water resource management, general education and health sector development.

She emphasized the importance of developing the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka as it has become the major source of livelihood of many Sri Lankans, especially in areas where the World Bank has initiated several development activities.

President Rajapaksa attends inauguration of new Maldivian President

President Mahinda Rajapaksa paid a brief official visit to the Maldives on 10-11 November, 2008 to attend the inaugural ceremony of the new Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and other officials of the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the swearing-in ceremony President Mohamed Nasheed, in his Address to the Nation extended a warm welcome to the President of Sri Lanka and thanked him for making a special effort to attend the ceremony.

Soon after the ceremony, the Sri Lankan President was the first foreign dignitary to pay a courtesy call on the new President accompanied by Foreign Minister Bogollagama, the Acting High Commissioner, Mr. H.M.T. Wijewickrama and the delegation.

President Rajapaksa extended his warm felicitations to President Nasheed as the new leader of the Maldives and welcomed the first ever multi-party election and the new reforms as a new beginning in the political history of the Maldives. He conveyed his best wishes to President Nasheed for a successful tenure of office.

Both sides agreed to continue to work together and to strengthen and deepen the multi-faceted links which exist between the two countries. It was noted that there are over 10,000 Sri Lankans in the Maldives and the Maldivian President welcomed their presence. He stated that the private sector investments, especially in the tourism sector is encouraged. In this context, the possibility of working together to promote joint destination packages which should benefit both countries was discussed.

Reference was made to the library building in the Maldives which was donated by Sri Lanka when the Foreign Minister visited the Maldives in November 2007. President Nasheed is keen to further expand the collection of books in the Library. In the field of Information Technology the Sri Lanka President spoke of the proposal to set up Tele Centres (Nanasala).

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama referred to the activities of SAARC and stated that Sri Lanka as SAARC Chair looks forward to the support and cooperation of the Maldives to promote the collective efforts of SAARC member states for the benefit and prosperity of the South Asian Region. It was observed that Maldives would be hosting the SAARC Summit in 2009.

President Nasheed spoke of the close people-to-people contacts which have been established due to many Maldivians who have studied in Sri Lanka, and, those who still continue to have their education in Sri Lanka which has resulted in a close affinity between the two countries.

President Nasheed accepted the invitation extended by President Rajapaksa to pay a visit to Sri Lanka which would take place before the end of this year.

The President and the Foreign Minister also called on the former President Gayoom. President Rajapaksa conveyed his best wishes to the former President and said that he would be remembered as a statesman who made a significant contribution to the Maldives and to the South Asian region.

Sri Lanka High Commission Male

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

Hunger strike in London against LTTE front activities

(By: Janaka Alahapperuma from London )

Patriotic Sri Lankans in the UK are organising a ‘Hunger Strike’ urging British authorities to stop events organised by LTTE front running forums taking place in London.

They further request not to let bogus forums celebrate the barbaric terrorist leader’s birthday on 26th November in London. According to the LTTE supporter groups they are organising a community and cultural event.

The Hunger Strike organized by Sri Lankans Against Terrorism (SLAT)-UK will be held on 14th November (Friday) from 10.00am till 10.00 pm in front of the British Parliament, Parliament Square, London.

Members of the SLAT-UK said there are number of front organisations of the LTTE which are operating freely within the UK even though it is a banned terrorist outfit. These groups pretend to be civilian welfare forums but actually work to a terrorist agenda, with the aim of violently the separating Sri Lanka along ethnic lines. Such forums act with total disregard to British law and organise events to hoodwink the international community into supporting the Tiger terrorists.

They further said that it is their duty as patriotic Sri Lankans to highlight the activities of the LTTE fronts, demanding the British government and authorities to investigate and take necessary actions against these terror supporter forums and also turn in LTTE ban a meaningful one. The truth is these bogus forums always mislead the British authorities as usual. However their hidden agenda is to celebrate LTTE leader’s birthday which falls on that day.

The “Hunger Strike will last for 12 hours along with a candle light vigil.

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

‘Api Wenuwen Api’ UK programme raises £94,000

In a simple ceremony held at the High Commission, the final accounts of the promotional programme “Apiwenuwen Api” was presented to H.E. The High Commissioner Of Sri Lanka Justice Nihal Jayasinghe. Members of the organising Committee of the London, Birmingham and Mancester programmes attended the ceremony.

The High Commissioner said that “the promotional events conducted in the UK in September 2008 had met with tremendous success.”

Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe presented the final accounts in the presence of the committee members who worked with high level of commitment in making the project a resounding success. The UK programme has netted a record profit of UK Pounds 94,108.00 ( nearly 17 million Rupees) towards the service personnel housing project, which according to observers a remarkable achievement.

“Api Wenuwen Api” is a project initiated by the Ministry of Defence dedicated for providing much needed housing facilities for both serving and disabled service personnel of the armed forces in Sri Lanka in appreciation of their services to the Motherland.

The High Commissioner further said that he would like to take that opportunity to extend his sincere appreciation to all the Sri Lankans who rose to the occasion and made generous contribution towards the “Api Wenuwen Api” fund raising programme demonstrating their patriotism and concern for the service personnel.

While thanking the organizing committee for a job well done, he commended the commitment and sense of responsibility demonstrated by the committee members throughout the events held in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

Sri Lanka offers “Ramayana Tourist Package”

Sri Lanka is developing some of these places to narrate to the world the story of the revered epic and attract tourists from abroad, especially India, as Sri Lanka is the proud custodian of more than 50 sites related to the epic Ramayana.

The package includes visits to sites from the place of Sita’s captivity to the battlefields and to the ultimate theatre of war where Lord Ram is said to have killed Ravana, King of Lanka. Sri Lankans believe that King Ravana ruled the country and the Ramayana has it that he brought Sita from India in a ‘Pushpakavimana’ also known as the ‘Dandu monara yanthraya’.

The envoy said that the government has developed infrastructure in the areas and is promoting the ‘Ramayana sites’ through an aggressive advertising campaign.

‘Seetha Kotuwa’, a palace where Sita is believed to have been kept until she was moved to ‘Ashoka Vatika’ and Sita Amman Temple, a temple built for Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, have been developed and included in the package. Other sites which are being developed are Ravana Cave-Ravana Falls, Divurumpola, Ishtripura and Chariot Path and Seetha Tear Pond.

Nearly 200 tourists from India took part in a special ‘puja’ at the Sita Amman temple in Sita Eliya, at the beginning of this year.

High Commissioner Jayasinghe said this will go a long way in promoting people-to-people contact between India and Sri Lanka, which share warm and friendly relations.

Sri Lanka’s inspiration to promote the sites associated with Valmiki’s Ramayana came from India, which has a large number of Buddhist sites.

“A large number of Sri Lankans come to India to visit the historical sites associated with Buddha and Buddhism. So, we thought we should promote the Ramayana sites too,” Indian media reported quoting the High Commissioner.

High Commissioner Jayasinghe said the Government also plans to promote Hindu sites located in the Eastern and Northern parts of the country once normalcy returns to these areas.

“People will visit a place only when there is peace. Now, the East is a free area and Sri Lanka Tourism will start developing sites there,” Mr. Jayasinghe said.