Why the world should rally round Sri Lanka ?

Redeveloping the Eastern Province is, indeed, one of our highest priorities. Considering the importance attached to the 'hearts and minds' component of quelling disaffection and terror, the State could not do better than ensure the well being of the Eastern Province, now that the State is re-asserting its authority almost in full in the region.

Concurrently, the world community would be acting with foresight by responding positively to Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogallagama's call to siphon all the material and moral support they can muster, to bring prosperity and well being to the East.

Minister Bogollagama has voiced this pronouncement to no less a person than UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and we hope the international community would rally round this highly worthy cause.

We need hardly say that the task of rejuvenating the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka has just begun. The fine military victories scored by the Security Forces in the province have only brought to completion the military component of defeating terror.

From now on, the 'hearts and minds' battle must begin and this involves meeting the material and developmental needs of the Eastern populace on a sustained and systematic basis.

This is insightful thinking on the part of the State because an armed separatist rebellion could not be considered as having been quelled completely as long the material and other urgent needs of the population groups in question go unmet by the State.

Therefore, no one could question the wisdom of emphasising the need for more and more development. Accordingly, the world would do well to cooperate with Sri Lanka.

It should be plain to see that any hesitation on the part of the world community to meet Sri Lanka's request would only ultimately benefit the LTTE which is all out to exploit public disaffection to the maximum.

For, if the East remains in the economic doldrums, the ravenous Tigers would make most out of it by exploiting public grievances. So, development is indeed the path to conflict resolution and we are certain that the world too would see it this way.