First formal Govt meeting with Tamil Diaspora:

Mangala to meet GTF reps in UK

by Rasika Jayakody

Minister of External Affairs Mangala Samaraweera will meet representatives of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) for a special meeting in London tomorrow.

This is the first formal meeting between a high-profile representative of the Sri Lankan Government and a leading Tamil Diaspora activist organisation. Foreign Ministry sources told the Sunday Observer that the meeting would look into potential areas where the Sri Lankan Government and Tamil Diaspora can work together in terms of reconciliation and developing mutual understanding.

The meeting has been facilitated by In Transformation Initiative, a South African NGO working in the field of peace-making and conflict resolution. The NGO also promotes dialogue among sectors where a ‘disconnect’ has occurred in relationship.

When contacted by the Sunday Observer, South African Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Geoff Doidge, said this meeting does not come as part of the government-to-government program on-going between Sri Lanka and South Africa on reconciliation matters.

“It is a separate initiative by the South African NGO. The South African Embassy in Colombo or the South African government does not have any involvement in this meeting. But, we are aware of the discussion,” Doidge told the Sunday Observer on Friday.

The Global Tamil Forum (GTF), established in 2009 by a number of Tamil groups, is the largest Tamil diaspora organisation with members drawn from across five continents. Rev. Dr. S.J. Emmanuel is the current President of the GTF while John Ryan, a former British MP works as its policy advisor.

The meeting comes two months after the Minister of External Affairs called for a review of the ban on the Tamil diaspora groups enforced under the Gazette Notification issued on March 21, 2014.

Samaraweera, told Parliament that 424 individuals and 16 entities were listed as terrorists or terrorist organisations under the Gazette Notification. “This was done to build the hysteria about the LTTE regrouping in the run-up to the Presidential election.

They banned several Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora groups under these provisions for their alleged links to the LTTE. However, most of the organisations listed may have merely been vocal proponents of Tamil rights. There was hardly any tangible evidence to link them to the LTTE”, he said.