SAARC ideal opportunity for Lanka to showcase its image - JVP

Dharma Sri ABEYRATNE

COLOMBO: The SAARC summit is an ideal opportunity for Sri Lanka to showcase its good image while silently giving a clear picture to the world that the country is calm and tranquil for tourism and investment, JVP Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Friday.

Addressing a press briefing in Colombo on the present political developments, Dissanayake pointed out that Sri Lanka would be able to obtain benefits and favourable outcomes from the SAARC Summit especially in the investment sector.

In addition, the world would take into account that the country is normal and peaceful when the top SAARC leaders are in Sri Lanka.

As a result of this favorable situation there would be a boom in many sectors especially in tourism and investment.

“However the security we provide to the leaders is an important factor. Security for foreign leaders should be provided by our Security Forces personnel. Then the world will think that the country is secure enough. Our Security Forces are quite capable of providing security for any VVIP who will be here for SAARC.”

He said it was the usual practice among world leaders to take some of their security personnel when they go to another country, but a large presence of foreign security personnel would give a negative image.

It is regrettable that the Government has taken steps to remove and relocate some families who have been residing in Colombo for over 50 years for security reasons, he said. Security is a must but harassing the people cannot be accepted, he added.

He said the JVP is planning to implement a mechanism to safeguard the people’s democratic rights.