India’s High Commissioner in Colombo, Alok Prasad, yesterday lodged a protest with the Sri Lankan defence secretary Nandasena Gotabhaya Rajapaksa after the island nation’s army chief Lieutenant General G S C Fonseka referred to Tamil Nadu politicians Vaiko and P Nedumaran as “political jokers”. The remark triggered widespread protests in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile the Government of Australia has announced Australia will contribute $4 million of food aid to conflict-affected communities in Sri Lanka through the World Food Programme (WFP).
Australia's contribution will provide almost 5,000 metric tonnes of rice, pulses, sugar, corn soya blend and vegetable oil to communities in the north and east. This includes about 230,000 internally displaced people in the northern Vanni region of Sri Lanka.
Since September, the WFP has regularly been delivering food aid by a special convoy of trucks to internally displaced people in the Vanni region.
This has been because the Government of Sri Lanka directed the United Nations to withdraw from the area as it could not guarantee the safety of international and non-resident staff.
The Australian Government remains deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Sri Lanka and the worsening humanitarian situation.
It is essential that Government agencies and international organisations continue to work together to ensure those who flee the fighting are able to get access to essential support in a way that preserves their dignity, their family structures and their human rights.
The Australian Government again calls on all sides of the conflict to heed international humanitarian law and allow civilians, including aid workers, to move freely in areas under their control.
Australia's view remains that Sri Lanka's conflict cannot be resolved through military means alone. All parties must work towards a political solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans.
The Australian Government will continue to encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure all citizens are afforded their fundamental rights and are able to participate fully in Sri Lankan society.
Published by Mike Hitchen, Mike Hitchen Consulting
Putting principles before profits
This blog will be on holiday from Dec 15 2008 -Jan 12 2009!
Putting principles before profits
This blog will be on holiday from Dec 15 2008 -Jan 12 2009!
