Lord Naseby tells the United Kingdom

Deliver money for Lankan reconstruction

Walter Jayawardhana

“The challenge for the UK is to deliver money promised by the Blair government for reconstruction. Those Labour MPs who have Tamils in their constituencies should stop playing politics.

They should tell the Diaspora to stop funding the Tigers so that ordinary Tamils can enjoy peace and rebuild their lives,” said Lord Naseby.

Lord Naseby was writing in the latest issue of the Royal Commonwealth Society Magazine.

Lord Naseby, who is the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka further said in the magazine that Sri Lanka has faced terrorism for over 25 years, resulting in vast devastations, that needs massive reconstructions.

He said, the Tigers are elected by no one, their sole objective is to achieve Eelam at any cost. And, said he, what a cost: Prime Minister Gandhi and President Premadasa assassinated; hundreds of moderate Tamils murdered; child soldiers recruited in their hundreds to be put on the frontline and killed. “No wonder these terrorists are proscribed in the US, Canada, UK, EU and other countries,” he said.

Making a strong case for Sri Lanka the Lord said, “Sri Lanka has been a valued member of the Commonwealth since independence. It was one of the original signatories to the London declaration and today holds key positions in four Commonwealth bodies.” He reminded that Tigers were making a final stand dragging over 100,000 innocent civilians with them.

He said every international agency had appealed to the Tigers to release the civilians, yet still they refused.

“So much for caring about the Tamil people. Few democratically elected governments face terrorism on this scale.” Lord Naseby further added, “yet the Armed Forces are disciplined : no civilian casualties were reported on the drive to Kilinochchi.

He said, in the meantime, the Sri Lankan Government continues to take human rights seriously and the country’s talented people must be allowed to continue to serve the Commonwealth.