SL Embassy in Kuwait counters disinformation

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait has launched a campaign to make Kuwait newspapers and journalists aware of the correct situation in Sri Lanka in an effort to counter disinformation spread by agencies sympathetic to the LTTE.

Accordingly Minister Counsellor Sunil Sarath Perera met the editors and officials of the Kuwait Times and informed them that a news item published in that newspaper on May 11 to the effect that 2600 civilians have died in Sri Lanka at the hands of the Security Forces within 24 hours was not true.

As a result the Kuwait Times published a correction prominently on Page 1 the following day.

The Minister Counsellor also explained to the media personalities that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has a vision to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and that stable peace would be established quite soon.

Terrorists have a mass media campaign of untruth in addition to their military campaigns, he explained. Hence it is necessary to have a post-conflict media campaign in addition to a post-conflict development struggle, he added.

Sri Lankan Ambassador Sarath Dasanayake has already discussed with Kuwait Governmental and Non Governmental Organizations about the possibility of sending relief to displaced civilians who have arrived from the LTTE held area.