Immense potential but SL needs time- British Prime Minister
By Manjula Fernando
Visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron acknowledged that Sri
Lanka needed time to address pending issues of reconciliation after
almost a 30-year battle against terrorism and added that Sri Lanka had
immense potential, a strong and growing economy.
Addressing the media at the CHOGM media centre at the BMCH yesterday
Cameron said "The point they repeatedly make is that, they have suffered
for almost 30 years and it takes time to solve these problems and to
reconcile.
I accept that all this takes time".
After meetings with state officials, the British Prime Minister said
he wanted to see for himself the situation in Sri Lanka since reading
reports made by other people was not enough and thanked the Government
for facilitating his visit to Jaffna."The country has immense potential.
It has a strong and growing economy. It has a chance for success after
the end of the 'dreadful battle'," he said. He welcomed the Provincial
Council elections being held in the North as an 'important progress in
itself'. Cameron met newly -elected Northern Provincial Council Chief
Minister, C.V. Wigneswaran during his brief visit to Jaffna.
The British Premier said his visit will enable him to take a positive
image of the country and also of people still waiting to be resettled.
He said he heard different versions and saw the good and the bad. 'I
think it's important that I took journalists from the UK so that they
could report correctly about these issues," He said he was sure that
they will now do that in a 'balanced and proper manner.'
In response to a question by the British media he said he will
support an international inquiry if a credible domestic inquiry to probe
the final stages of the military operations is not completed by March
next year.
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Cameron meets Murali
The visiting British Premier told the media yesterday that it was a
pleasure to meet Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan. "I've
watched him bowl out the England team and he's an inspirational figure
and the work he does through his organisation to bring people together I
think is really inspiring." Cameron said.Muralitharan has set up a
foundation which uses cricket for reconciliation. Cameron met
Muralitharan at the CCC grounds yesterday and played a game of cricket
with children from the North and the South who were affected by the
conflict and were assisted by the Foundation.
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