Lankan envoy in Germany denies false reports
GERMANY: Sri Lanka's ambassador to Germany Jayantha Palipane
has denied a story carried by certain Sri Lankan websites and newspapers
which allege his involvement in a LTTE seminar in Bad Broll, Germany.
Ambassador Palipane says: "I have not accepted an invitation to
attend this seminar in Bad Broll or to chair it.
The reference to me in the story carried by Lanka Truth on October 23
is not true. The organiser of this seminar has used my name in a leaflet
without my acceptance or confirmation of participation and inserted the
German word "angefragt" which means "asked for" in German.
There is no question of my being lured into anything. I had informed
an organiser of my non-participation some time back."
The three-day seminar, beginning on October 27, is called 'The Peace
Process in Sri Lanka'.
Held just before peace talks in Geneva it is seen as a means of
pressuring the government and as a stepping stone to create a positive
image of the LTTE throughout Germany.
In spite of Sri Lankan Ambassador's reply, the organiser has printed
brochures and publicity material deliberately creating the false
impression that the ambassador to Sri Lanka in Germany is participating
in the seminar and giving the welcome speech.
According to well informed sources from Stuttgart, Germany the false
story carried by the websites has given undue publicity to a non-event
which is staged every year by a group to please its donors. |