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Rehabilitating and reconstructing North:

UN assist Sri Lanka

Defence Secretary meets UN envoy

**Envoy visits Vanni, meets President today

A special meeting between Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and a special UN envoy was held at the Defence, Public Security, Law and Order Ministry yesterday. The UN representative comprised the UN Under Secretary General on Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes, Resident Humanitarian Coordinator Sri Lanka Neil Buhne, Special Assistant to Under Secretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Shanya Harris, Desk Officer NY Masaki Watabe and Head of Office Sri Lanka Zola Dowell.

*****************************

The UN is ready to assist in the rehabilitation and the reconstruction of the North, visiting UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Sir John Holmes said renewing its call to the LTTE to release the civilians suffering in its fast shrinking territory.

Referring to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the North he said: “We in the United Nations, are of course ready to take our part in that, to work to make this a success, adding that it was a ‘huge job’ the Government had to fulfill.”

He said the UN would help Sri Lanka to enable the return of normal life, normal democratic politics to this region.

Holmes who arrived in Colombo yesterday on a three day visit, invited by the Government, participated in a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at the Foreign Ministry. The duo held a two hour meeting prior to the media briefing.

They discussed the issues of the IDPs, civilians trapped in the uncleared areas, humanitarian assistance to these people and return of normalcy to the North after the completion of the humanitarian operation.

Holmes appreciated the Government’s efforts to successfully send in a shipment of relief to the Vanni civilains yesterday and said the UN was working with the Government to ensure a continued supply of humanitarian assistance; food, clean water and medical supplies. The envoy said the UN in particular and the International Community in general was very concerned about the plight of the civilians trapped by the LTTE in their territory.

He said they call upon the LTTE to abide by the humanitarian laws to ensure no civilian casualties and not to barricade their cross over to the safe territory.

He also called on the Government to ensure the safety of civilians in the war zone. Asked if he was confident the LTTE would lay down arms heeding the call of the international community, the UN envoy said it was ‘difficult’ to place total confidence in the LTTE by its past record but the UN was hoping the Tigers would somehow allow civilians to go to cleared areas.

Minister Bogollagama said the Government has reached the final and the most difficult phase of its battle to eliminate LTTE terrorism. The battle against the LTTE, a ruthless terrorist organisation which conscripts child combatants, had been very challenging since the Government is committed to maintain a zero civilian casualty level.

He said the main concern of the Government at the moment was to rescue some 70,000 odd Vanni civilians forcibly kept under LTTE grip in the east coast of Mullaitivu.

Responding to questions Minister Bogollagama said there was no ‘media ban’ in areas where IDP camps are located, on the contrary a media crew will be allowed to accompany the UN envoy in his visit to Vaunia.

During his stay Holmes will hold talks with the President Mahinda Rajapaksa and undertake a visit to Vaunia with Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa to inspect the IDP camps.

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