Lanka tells diaspora :

‘Come and witness our achievements’

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

* ‘Move to deal with disinformation campaigns’

* ‘UPR to answer false allegations’

Sri Lanka has invited foreign media and influential persons belonging to the Tamil diaspora to come and see what is happening in the country, in a move to deal with disinformation campaigns that have been launched against the country by some sections of the Tamil diaspora, said External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunathilaka Amunugama.

He said, fair - minded members of the diaspora are looking for an opportunity to observe the situation in the country. We have invited them to come and see for themselves the real situation, he said.

According to Amunugama, it is a small group of the diaspora with vested interests to divide the country, that has launched disinformation campaigns against Sri Lanka.

“They have disseminated false and misleading information to the world about Sri Lanka, such as, Sri Lankan military maintains tight control over Tamil public in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, military wields control over private lives of Tamil citizens, Internally Displaced Tamil citizens suffer immense hardships and no resettlement of IDPs in the North, to name a few. He said, all false accusations made against Sri Lanka will be answered and explained in detail during the forthcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process of the United Nations Human Rights Commission. UPR process on Sri Lanka is scheduled to be held in Geneva on the first of November.

Asked how the government will convey the country’s true position to the world outside the walls of the United Nation, Amunugama said they have launched several programs for foreign media and requested the members of Tamil diaspora to visit the country in this regard.

“We expect the arrival of at least 40 media personnel from across the globe to come to the country and experience for themselves the development and reconciliation that has taken place in the country since the cessation war.

“Print media personnel from countries, such as, Australia, Korea, USA and China will be invited to the country under this program.

The Cabinet recently approved the program,” said Amunugama.

“We have have taken steps to reach out to Tamil diaspora with an open invitation to visit the country. Although they live in foreign lands. They are people of Sri Lanka,” he explained.

He said , they should come and see how Sri Lanka has made progress in resettling those internally displaced persons and whether they live under peaceful conditions, he said.

“ These people are their kith and kin , sisters and brothers. We want to give them a chance to interact with them so that they will be of assistance to them and us,” he added.

“When they come they will get to know the real picture of the country with first hand experience, and get an idea about the level of disinformation being spread against the country by those elements with sinister agendas,” he pointed out.