MR challenges Tamil Diaspora

Tuesday, 07 June 2011 01:52

Sandun A. Jayasekera reporting from Kilinochchi

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday challenged the Tamil diaspora to donate a single dollar for the welfare of Tamils in Sri Lanka if possible, if they genuinely had any feeling for them.

Addressing a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the multi-purpose transmission tower at Kokavil in Kilinochchi, President Rajapaksa further stressed that not a single member of the so called vociferous Tamil diaspora in foreign countries claiming to protect the rights of Tamils has donated a single dollar for the welfare of Tamils in Sri Lanka.MR challenges…

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“They have residences in Colombo, Kilinochchi and Jaffna. They also have residences in Chennai, Europe, Canada and the US and collect funds for the diaspora by speaking English. Many of them do not speak Tamil. They do not know Tamil even as much as me. But they are efficient enough to collect funds for the Tamil diaspora.,” he said.

President Rajapaksa charged that the Tamil Diaspora had used its funds not to help Tamils but to spread misinformation or utter lies to create division among the Tamils and other communities.

“What they want is to renew their lost course of Eelam dream by creating mistrust among Tamils themselves and others. But the Tamil people in Sri Lanka are intelligent enough to realize the modus operandi,” he said.

President Rajapaksa yesterday gave away Rs. 100 million worth of self employment loan certificates to ex-LTTE combatants who had been rehabilitated and given skill development training and also to war widows in Kilinochchi.

The national ceremony to launch this programme sponsored by the Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Ministry, People’s Bank and the Rehabilitation Authority was held in the Kilinochchi town last afternoon.

Ex- LTTE combatants have fought the armed forces during the humanitarian operations. They have been given skill development training and self employment.

during their rehabilitation programme.

They will be given advice and technical support along with a soft loan provided by the Peoples Bank to start self employment projects, a spokesman from the bank said.

War widows who had lost their husbands in the fight against the security forces were also given financial and technical know how to engage in self employment, he said. 

we Will give what the people want in North: MR

By Sandun A. Jayaskera in Kilinochchi

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said he would never give in to the demands of the LTTE that emerge from certain political elements in the north but would grant what the people in the north want after discussing power devolution with the political leadership in the north and the south.

Addressing a ceremony held to mark the commissioning of the ‘Kokavil multi-purpose transmission tower in Kilinochchi yesterday, President Rajapaksa said discussions to find a sustainable solution to the ethnic conflict was in progress right now.

“We have talked much about political issues and solutions. Whatever said and done on political problems and power devolution, they are our domestic issues. No outside power has the right to interfere with it. You can’t force a political solution down the throat of the people. A political solution must come from the heart of the masses. Solutions must come from the heart of the people,” President Rajapaksa said.

President Rajapaksa said when he visited Kilinochchi last year to hold the first ever cabinet meeting out of Colombo; he was able to hold discussions with the political leadership and public officials on the development of the area. He was glad to see today that the plans drawn for development had been fruitful and the Kokavil transmission plant had been restored at a cost of Rs. 330 million.

“The objective of the government is to develop the north to be on par with the south. I firmly believe that the trickle down effect of development that ensures the dividends of development felt from the top to the bottom of the society. The reconstruction of roads, tanks and new industries, schools, hospitals and trade stalls that have been mushrooming in the north has proved this point. But the north still need more and more investment and new industries,” President Rajapaksa emphasized.

The north has received the highest and modern digital transmission tower. The young, the school children in particular must learn what is happening around them, they must be educated on what was going on in the world. The Kokavil Transmission tower will bring the world to their laptops or the visiting rooms from today, he said. 

The LTTE by destroying the Kokavil Transmission Tower created a gap of understanding and association between the north and south. During the so-called peace agreement in 2002, terrorists were able to smuggle high tech telecommunication equipment to spread hate and misinformation between the north and south. However, the government has been successful in re-establishing peace and harmony between the two after winning the war against terrorism. The youth in the north have realized the futility of falling to the lies of the LTTE after and 25 years. They are now impatient to become the partner of progress with the assistance of the government, President Rajapaksa said.

“The sacrifices of heroic soldiers have not gone unnoticed. When I see how children in the north and the south exchange their views and talk freely at the Temple Trees during their visits I feel contended and glad. This freedom is a result of the dedication and love shown to the motherland by war heroes, President Rajapaksa said.