Large number of former LTTE cadres rehabilitated - Namal Rajapaksa, MP

Hambantota district Parliamentarian and Special Presidential envoy Namal Rajapaksa on an official visit to Tokyo yesterday said that a large number of former LTTE cadres rehabilitated by the government have been reintegrated with their families.

The Hambantota district Parliamentarian said that these rehabilitated youths have been granted financial assistance to start their own self employment ventures.

Rajapaksa made these remarks when he met former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Japan yesterday. He briefed the former Prime Minister on the activities conducted by him in the Killinochchi and Mullativu districts in the country.

Hambantota district Parliamentarian and Special Presidential envoy Namal Rajapaksa meeting former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda

Rajapaksa added that a number of young parliamentarians from the South are now very much involved in development projects in the Northern and Eastern regions.

He said that the reconciliation programme for rehabilitated cadres is also progressing successfully and a large number of rehabilitated cadres have now been sent back to their villages with special financial assistance given by the government for them to start their own self-employment projects.

Special assistance and schemes are being facilitated by the government for widows to find self employment, he said.

He emphasised that while reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation are key areas of priority for the Government, there is strong commitment to the people of this region with 70 percent of foreign grants and loans already being extended by the government to the development of this region.

The former Japanese Prime Minister reiterated Japan's strong commitment and friendship over the years with Sri Lanka and he sincerely acknowledged the support given by Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake last year.

"The support and commitment extended by the Sri Lankan government by sending a 15 member disaster relief team and the distribution of tea and food in the disaster struck areas was most encouraging" , he added.

He stressed that the government and people of Japan will always remember the assistance and support provided by Sri Lanka during the tsunami last year. Fukuda also stated that during his last visit to Sri Lanka he was encouraged to see the development in the country.

The former Prime Minister also thanked the government of Sri Lanka for taking a decision to donate two elephants to Japan this year in commemoration of 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Rajapaksa held discussions with several Japanese dignitaries including former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Japanese Parliamentarians Yuko Obuchi, Tetsuro Fukuyama and with Japan's Special Representative Yasushi Akashi.