More international support needed to halt LTTE fund-raising

Foreign Minister tells US Congressional leaders

WASHINGTON: Sri Lanka needs more help from the international community to suppress the LTTE raising funds through its front organisation such as the TRO, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told congressional representatives on the first day of his official visit to Washington DC, on March 14.

He visited Capital Hill and met Congressional Representatives focused on South Asia, to brief them on the current situation in Sri Lanka and to express his appreciation of continued US support to Sri Lanka.

Among the Representatives the Minister met were the Co-Chairs of the Sri Lanka Congressional Caucus, Congressman Frank Pallone and Congressman Jerry Weller, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on the Middle East and South Asia, Congressman Gary Ackerman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

The primary focus of the Minister's message was to inform the Representatives that the Government's peace initiative was on track to seek a board-based political consensus in the south in favour of political proposals that would lead to a sustainable peace. The Minister said the political proposals would be on the table shortly.

At one stage, when asked what is different in Sri Lanka's situation today when compared to three years ago, Bogollagama said three years ago, the country was not heading in any clear direction, but today, with the political consensus initiated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the dynamics have changed, enabling the country to pitch itself to a delivery mechanism for a sustainable peace.

The Minister during his discussions, appreciated the strong bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and the US and spoke warmly of the steadfast commitment of the US to help Sri Lanka fight terrorism. However, he pointed out that Sri Lanka needs more help from the international community to suppress the LTTE raising funds through its front organisations such as the TRO.

He said that although the US banned the LTTE in 1997 as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, it is still operating in the US through its front organisations, collecting substantial funds for procuring weapons. With massive sums of money collected through extortion, narcotics and commercial activity, the LTTE has no incentive to negotiate for peace.

The Minister explained that until such time that the international community pressurises the LTTE to understand that violence will not be tolerated, there will be no prospect for a sustained peace in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Ambassador in the US, Bernard Goonetilleke and Director General Public Communications of the Foreign Ministry, Ravinatha Aryasinha were also present.

The Minister will continue meetings on Capital Hill and is scheduled to address the members of the Sri Lanka Congressional Caucus.