No foreign evacuation mission - FM
Irangika Range
Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said that the Government
has not permitted any international forces to evacuate civilians from
the Vanni.
"Certain reports published regarding the arrival of US marines in Sri
Lanka to transport civilians on the invitation of the Sri Lankan
Government are baseless and incorrect," the Minister said.
Addressing a media briefing in Colombo yesterday, the Minister said
that the Government has not made any request to the US Army to support
the evacuation process in Sri Lanka.
"We have also not received any proposal from any country in this
regard," the Minister said. He said that US has always extended its
support in countering terrorism in Sri Lanka.
"We welcome proposals from any country or foreign agency if they are
not concerned in safeguarding the terrorists,"he said. Since the Armed
Forces are engaged in fulfilling their duties in eliminating terrorism
in the North, the Government has committed to streamline the evacuation
process of civilians without harming them.
The Government without having any political interest is committed to
ensure the protection of civilians.
"We have improved medical facilities while providing necessary food
supplies to civilians fleeing from Mulaitivu," he said.
He said the International community is very concerned about the
ongoing evacuation of civilians and their medical facilities.
"We are trying to increase the numbers of civilians being evacuated
," he said.Meanwhile, commenting on the Lahore attack on the Sri Lankan
cricket team, the Minister said investigations in this regard are
proceeding well. The Pakistan leadership is very much concerned about
the ongoing investigation, while the Sri Lankan Government has been kept
informed about the developments . "We will shortly inform the media
about the results", he said.
The Minister commenting on his tour to Vietnam said that the
Vietnamese government has pledged to extended its support to the Sri
Lankan Government in the effort to counter terrorism. |