• Rocking with Louise Arbours and Helen Olafsdottir

• Dual nationality for a nominal fee?

• Entrance fee

• Expatriates boost our economy

• It's reasonable

• To pay or not to pay?

Rocking with Louise Arbours and Helen Olafsdottir

Are the UN advisers soft on the LTTE terrorists? Do the terrorists throw money to buy attention; or is this an UN conspiracy favouring the terrorists? Why did the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) gift loads of cement to the LTTE bypassing the Sri Lanka Government?

Sri Lanka is a member of the UN. Is the terrorist LTTE a registered member too? If not why do the UN representatives waltz and dance to the tunes of the Tigers? The UN a world body which should stand neutral in the face of upheavals goes deaf and blind in the face of terror.

The US claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. UN fact finders found none. The US bombed Iraq and the impotent UN went silent!

Have Louise, Helen and Rock seen our Armed Forces recruiting under-aged children for Karuna Amman of the East? The Armed Forces deny doing any dirty work for Karuna. Karuna says that he has a fully fledged army of adults and does not need children.

Strangely UN blindness does not permit them to see children being recruited by Prabakaran. He blesses suicide bombers, who have meal with him in his palace, and chats to child recruits, to pep them up.

What are the three UN advisers scheming? Is it to set up a separate state of Tamil Eelam in the North and East, having declared Lanka a failed state. And inviting the UN to set up a peace keeping force to keep the Tigers away from the South and set up an Eelam in the North and East.

Can little Lanka have two States without dithering, leading to war-like situations. If the LTTE gets to the East where predominantly Muslims live, they will not stop there but march on to the Hill Country, and thereafter to the Sinhala NCP.

It is time that scheming foreigners were denied visas and the Government paid attention to the danger that stares it in the face!

CLAUDE SENADHIRA - Dehiwela

Dual nationality for a nominal fee?

I read articles by so many visitors about Dual Nationality, the recent one by Dhammika from USA. There is a saying, you can take a cat to Singapore but it will still say, 'Miyawh'. We live in different parts of the world, USA, Canada, Middle East, Australia and UK but we cannot get rid of our habits.

I am sure Sri Lankans always feel about the mother country, it doesn't matter where you are. This is natural and spontaneous. Try and forget speaking in Sinhala, it is not easy.

When we go to these Sri Lankan shops or groceries we always hear they natter in their native language, isn't it correct?

I am not sure other places but over here in UK, one can see over 500 on a special day at the temple.

It is sad to hear and understand that the Government is not allowing these Sri Lankans to have dual nationality for an affordable fee.

There are no criteria for this fee, just a flat fee, take it or leave it. I am sure the Sri Lankans should be given this dual nationality with both hands, welcome back after a long absence. Of course a country needs taxes and funds from visitors to the country but why not give this dual citizenship for a nominal fee? I am sure they need foreign currency, so why not give this states for a reasonable fee than at a flat rate.

Let's hope some solution comes through so that they can visit as frequently as possible.

DR. HECTOR PERERA - via email

Entrance fee

I refer to the email by Patrick Berenger and Nimala Jayasooriya. For everyone's information what Vihara Dharmaratne has said is so true and his email is an eye opener to the Sri Lankan Government. He has really 'hit the nail on the head' as they say.

I am a Sinhalese but I was born and studied abroad and have always lived there until I decided to come to Sri Lanka since it was my parents birthplace.

I felt I would like to live in my parents' birthplace for sometime.

I am a British citizen, so I do not need to acquire Sri Lankan citizenship at all but because I love the country I thought I would.

As for raising Mr. Berenger's hackles, we should raise ours in protest against people like him, since he is the one who deserted Sri Lanka for greener pastures after making use of the free education of which we never made use of, since we were born and studied abroad.

I am contributing for people like him who now try to justify their desertion for more money and material comforts whereas people like me are wanting to come back because we Love Sri Lanka and genuinely want our dual nationality but at a reasonable price because we are not rich! My children and grandchildren too would obtain dual nationality if they were given this at a reasonable fee.

They too have never studied or made use of anything free in Sri Lanka, so that speaks volumes, doesn't it?

We are working hard for whatever we earn, in harsh climatic conditions at times and we assist many poor people in Sri Lanka often with money and medical aid etc.

I wonder if Mr. Berenger does that? People like us are not looking for a free ride and we do bring value because we contribute without expecting anything in return because of our love for the country and its people!

We even risk our lives sometimes by going to places like Welikande, Dimbulagala, etc to distribute medical aid, clothes, food and school items for the poor kids when we do come to Sri Lanka and it is all at our own expense.

Vihara Dharmaratne is a bright young person who has voiced an honest opinion which is appreciated by us all.

Hurrah for bright young people like that who speak out!

ANAAR DE SILVA - via email

Expatriates boost our economy

This is in response to the comments made by Hemal Perera on the above subject. He appears to be obsessed with anger and jealousy towards expatriate Sri Lankans due to reasons best known to him.

He has totally lost the main advantage the Sri Lankan economy gets by having more and more expatriate Sri Lankans getting dual citizenship.

Any dual citizen living in Sri Lanka for a long or short period spends foreign exchange everyday for day to day needs. When they stay longer, naturally, they spend more foreign exchange in the island. Most dual citizens also acquire properties in Sri Lanka and bring in their monthly pensions to the island.

This means much needed foreign exchange for the island. Furthermore, they do not utilize meager resources in Sri Lanka for education and medical facilities of their families. The nation should be thankful to expatriate Sri Lankans for that.

Making money in foreign countries is not easy. Sri Lankans who live in foreign countries sometimes work two or three jobs to make adequate funds for the betterment of their children. Unlike in Sri Lanka, in foreign countries work means real work.

One only has to step in to any Government establishment in Sri Lanka, to see how time is criminally wasted at the expense of the tax payer.

It is this hard earned foreign exchange that the expatriate Sri Lankans bring to the island every time they come home. Starting with SriLankan Airlines.

In the circumstances, the Sri Lanka Government should encourage more and more expatriate Sri Lankans to obtain dual citizenship and remove all meaningless obstacles and ridiculous regulations such as demanding higher educational qualifications, prior monetary deposits and totally absurd processing fees. Everybody strives hard to live a better life. Expatriate Sri Lankans are no exception.

Only exception is that the entire country is immensely benefited by their endeavours. Come on Hemal Perera, be realistic and patriotic. Put the country before your narrow-minded thinking.

JENNIFER HETTIHEWA - USA - via email

It's reasonable

I live in Australia and enjoy the comfort, peace and luxury of this country.

I have no intention of obtaining dual citizenship because I came to Australia out of my own accord and now contribute to this country and its people who have given me and my family a future.

If I want dual citizenship, then I am happy to pay whatever amount as it is so affordable. I pay more for petrol to run my car than what it would cost me to gain dual citizenship.

ANULA PERERA - Australia - via email

To pay or not to pay?

To be honest, I wouldn't bother getting dual nationality at this astronomical fee in the first place. Why do I have to pay even a penny to retain my original birthright? It is utter nonsense! I also ask my fellow readers; what extra benefit would you gain by having a Sri Lankan passport?

I am personally far better off with my British passport. I get so much respect from countries I visit, far better diplomatic protection and top security anywhere in the world.

It is a shame that a Sri Lankan passport holder can only dream about such perks! I say to those foreign passport holders; please don't bother with it, trust me... you are much better off with the new passport you've earned!

KALINGA DE SILVA - via email