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| Sunday, 29 May 2005 |
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Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure : Clinton supports President by Ananth Palakidnar Former President of the United States of America and the special United Nation's envoy for tsunami relief assistance Bill Clinton endorsing his fullest support to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's call for a "Joint Mechanism" said that he wanted to see that relief work goes ahead and all communities in this country live in peace. President Bill Clinton was speaking to the press at Hotel Trans Asia yesterday on his views on the tsunami relief operations in Sri Lanka and the proposed Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (PTOMS) of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. "As a political matter and as an operational matter I strongly support President's call for PTOMS. I am not anyway involved in the peace talks or in the politics of Sri Lanka. But I do want to see relief work proceeds and all the communities in this country do positive things for peace and reconciliation", President Clinton said. Praising the tsunami relief operations carried out in the country he said that compared to his previous visit, the planning and decision making with regard to the relief assistance were impressive and he found greater flexibility on the issue of buffer zones. Commenting further on the Sri Lankan situation President Clinton said that there was no mass outbreak or epidemic as the result of destruction of water supply and sanitation facilities. No children faced starvation or disease. Various countries and Non Governmental Organisations have come forward in a big way to assist the reconstruction. Despite the challenges we should be hopeful of taking things forward. President Clinton also remembered the children affected by the tsunami in the South dancing and singing before him and George Bush Sr., when he visited Sri Lanka in February. He also said that he was concerned about the abduction of children in the North and the East and said it was a crime and measures should be taken to prevent that sort of thing. Answering a question on helping the peace process President Clinton said that his role was to help the countries affected by tsunami and not to involve himself in internal politics. "The ceasefire in Sri Lanka has worked well for the past three years. Norway does its role as a facilitator and the people of this country should work towards a stable and a peaceful situation in the country", he said. Deputy UN Special envoy Erskine Bowles accompanied President Clinton at the briefing. Earlier in the morning President Clinton visited Kalmunai in the eastern province and met the relief workers and the local dignitaries at the Fatima College, Kalmunai. Travelling in a Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter Clinton had a bird's eye view of the tsunami devastated coastal areas in the east. Clinton later returned to Colombo and had a luncheon meeting with President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. Thereafter he also met a cross section of political and religious leaders. |
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