By PTI
COLOMBO: President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday he was committed to devolution of power within a unitary state as a solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic issue and underlined the need for Tamil diaspora’s engagement for the development of the conflict-battered northern region.
Addressing state officials in Jaffna, President Wickremesinghe also expressed hope that India will contribute to the development of the eastern port of Trincomalee.
He said the government wants to promote tourism between Mannar and Trincomalee.
“We should implement Trincomalee port development activities with the help of India, which will strongly affect the development of the northern province.
Before the war, the northern province made a wide contribution to the country’s economy.
As a government, we hope to restore that situation and raise it rapidly,” he said.
Wickremesinghe said the northern province would be developed in such a manner that it could make a significant contribution to the country’s national economy.
“I believe that a massive development in the northern province should take place in parallel to the economic development program in the country. The economy of Jaffna completely collapsed due to the war. It has not yet reached the anticipated level of economic development.”
Therefore, we hope to work under a 10-year plan to bring the country to that stage. We have to get not only foreign aid but also aid from the diaspora to realise this end,” he said.
The civil war was fought in Sri Lanka from 1983 to 2009.
On May 18, 2009, the campaign led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to establish a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern provinces of the island nation came to an end with the killing of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakaran by the Sri Lankan Army in Mullaithviu’s Vellamulivaikkal.
The Tamils allege that thousands were massacred during the final stages of the war, a charge the Sri Lankan Army denies.
According to a UN report, at least 40,000 Tamil civilians may have been killed in just the final months of the civil war.
Wickremesinghe said he was looking forward to the Tamil diaspora’s engagement in the development of the northern region.
“Our expectation is to develop an export-oriented economy as well as a competitive economy. To achieve this target, we have selected some major provinces out of which the northern province is one. If that program would be implemented properly, the economy of the Northern Province would change,” he said.
A programme is required to make the fishing industry commercially viable, he said, adding that not only the traditional fishing industry, but shrimp farming should also be prioritised.
“We are negotiating with the Indian government to solve the bottom trawling problem at hand.
Additionally, special attention has been drawn to provide a solution to the water issue in the Northern Province,” he was quoted as saying in an official statement.
Illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters by Indian fishermen has been a recurrent problem despite many high-level talks held between the two sides.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with the Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan’s territorial waters.
“Reconciliation alone will not solve these problems.
Poverty in the country should be eradicated and a better future should be built for the youth.
Otherwise, there will be no permanent solution to this problem,” the president said.
He said he was willing to devolve maximum power to the northern region under the unitary state concept.
President Wickremesinghe has underlined the need to fully implement the India-sponsored 13th amendment to the Constitution to grant political autonomy to the minority Tamils in the country.
India has been pressing Sri Lanka to implement the 13A which was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987.
Sinhalese, mostly Buddhist, make up nearly 75 per cent of Sri Lanka’s 22 million population, while Tamils are 15 per cent.
Wickremesinghe’s remarks came amid intensified protests staged this week by the powerful Buddhist monks against the full implementation of the 13th amendment to the Constitution.
They described the move as the first step towards leading to a Tamil state in the north and eastern regions and the separation of the country.
Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, President Wickremesinghe said there will be no division of the country, contrary to fears expressed by sections of the Buddhist clergy.
The majority hardline Buddhist clergy has been thwarting attempts for reconciliation with the Tamil minority since 1948 when the country gained its independence from Britain.
COLOMBO: President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday he was committed to devolution of power within a unitary state as a solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic issue and underlined the need for Tamil diaspora’s engagement for the development of the conflict-battered northern region.
Addressing state officials in Jaffna, President Wickremesinghe also expressed hope that India will contribute to the development of the eastern port of Trincomalee.
He said the government wants to promote tourism between Mannar and Trincomalee.
“We should implement Trincomalee port development activities with the help of India, which will strongly affect the development of the northern province.
Before the war, the northern province made a wide contribution to the country’s economy.
As a government, we hope to restore that situation and raise it rapidly,” he said.
Wickremesinghe said the northern province would be developed in such a manner that it could make a significant contribution to the country’s national economy.
“I believe that a massive development in the northern province should take place in parallel to the economic development program in the country. The economy of Jaffna completely collapsed due to the war. It has not yet reached the anticipated level of economic development.”
Therefore, we hope to work under a 10-year plan to bring the country to that stage. We have to get not only foreign aid but also aid from the diaspora to realise this end,” he said.
The civil war was fought in Sri Lanka from 1983 to 2009.
On May 18, 2009, the campaign led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to establish a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern provinces of the island nation came to an end with the killing of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakaran by the Sri Lankan Army in Mullaithviu’s Vellamulivaikkal.
The Tamils allege that thousands were massacred during the final stages of the war, a charge the Sri Lankan Army denies.
According to a UN report, at least 40,000 Tamil civilians may have been killed in just the final months of the civil war.
Wickremesinghe said he was looking forward to the Tamil diaspora’s engagement in the development of the northern region.
“Our expectation is to develop an export-oriented economy as well as a competitive economy. To achieve this target, we have selected some major provinces out of which the northern province is one. If that program would be implemented properly, the economy of the Northern Province would change,” he said.
A programme is required to make the fishing industry commercially viable, he said, adding that not only the traditional fishing industry, but shrimp farming should also be prioritised.
“We are negotiating with the Indian government to solve the bottom trawling problem at hand.
Additionally, special attention has been drawn to provide a solution to the water issue in the Northern Province,” he was quoted as saying in an official statement.
Illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters by Indian fishermen has been a recurrent problem despite many high-level talks held between the two sides.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with the Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan’s territorial waters.
“Reconciliation alone will not solve these problems.
Poverty in the country should be eradicated and a better future should be built for the youth.
Otherwise, there will be no permanent solution to this problem,” the president said.
He said he was willing to devolve maximum power to the northern region under the unitary state concept.
President Wickremesinghe has underlined the need to fully implement the India-sponsored 13th amendment to the Constitution to grant political autonomy to the minority Tamils in the country.
India has been pressing Sri Lanka to implement the 13A which was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987.
Sinhalese, mostly Buddhist, make up nearly 75 per cent of Sri Lanka’s 22 million population, while Tamils are 15 per cent.
Wickremesinghe’s remarks came amid intensified protests staged this week by the powerful Buddhist monks against the full implementation of the 13th amendment to the Constitution.
They described the move as the first step towards leading to a Tamil state in the north and eastern regions and the separation of the country.
Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, President Wickremesinghe said there will be no division of the country, contrary to fears expressed by sections of the Buddhist clergy.
The majority hardline Buddhist clergy has been thwarting attempts for reconciliation with the Tamil minority since 1948 when the country gained its independence from Britain.
