Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-11-20-Speech-4-156"
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"en.20031120.7.4-156"2
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"Mr President, in February 2001, a delegation from SAARC – the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation – travelled to Sri Lanka; I, as its Vice-President, was with them. We met the former opposition leader, who is now the Head of Government. We spoke with Buddhists, Hindus and Christians, including Bishop Dr Joseph, who had a mediating role. We flew by helicopter to Jaffna, saw the villages that had been destroyed, and demonstrations by the people who wanted to go home.
The civil war had lasted twenty years, had claimed a toll of over 60 000 dead, and human rights organisations told us that ‘war is an institution’. A year later, though, there was a ceasefire, a triumph for the Norwegian peace mission, whose work has always enjoyed our support. They are perfectly justified in now closing their operation down in response to the home-made crisis for which President Chandrika Kumaratunga must bear responsibility. It was she who took control of three government ministries, she who dissolved the democratically-elected parliament and promptly declared the country to be in a state of emergency. She charged the prime minister with making too many concessions to the Tamil Tigers.
Although the two rivals, meeting in Colombo, agreed two days ago to set up a commission to lay down rules on the basis of which they could cooperate in future, the conflict does not appear to have been resolved. For that to happen, agreement is needed, enabling the initial favourable developments to be followed up. My party of visitors is well aware of that. Significantly fewer people are falling victim to violence. The security situation has improved in many parts of the country. More people are meeting across the line of demarcation, which was formerly hermetically sealed.
In economic terms, too, there are encouraging signs. Growth stands at around 5% this year. More support can be expected from the international community in the shape of USD 4.5 million in reconstruction aid following the Tokyo conference, to which Mr Rod has just referred. This is, however, dependent on a peace treaty soon being on the table.
Progress has also been made in that representatives of the LTTE have, for the first time, agreed to free elections in the North. We wish the people of Sri Lanka a speedy end to private feuding in the interests of peace."@en1
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