Paris Forum appeal to Colombo

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, DEC 20. Donor countries and organisations have told Sri Lanka that the resolution of the ethnic conflict and the need to build efficient institutions and economic infrastructure should be its top priorities.

A statement from the World Bank's Paris office, released here today after two-day deliberations of the 24-member forum comprising donor countries and organisations which ended on Tuesday, said Sri Lanka had asserted its commitment to ending the conflict.

The President, Mrs Chandrika Kumaratunga, who addressed the forum, also reiterated her Government's commitment to implement relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction works for people affected by the war.

Earlier, in her opening address, the World Bank Vice- President for South Asia, Mrs. Mieko Nishimizu, rapped Sri Lanka over the knuckles gently for failing to achieve the standards of ``good governance'' expected from a country that had achieved OECD levels of human development. The European Union also said that ``shortcomings in government'' had impeded development, and asked Sri Lanka to enter into peace talks with the LTTE and improve its human rights record. But it said that it recognised Mrs. Kumaratunga's efforts to improve the human rights situation.

At a press conference in Paris yesterday, Sri Lanka's Deputy Finance Minister, Mr. G. L. Peiris, who led his country's delegation to the forum, is reported to have said the discussions were marked by ``refreshing candour.''

In an appeal to the Forum before it met, civil society representatives from Sri Lanka had asked donors to use their good offices to ensure that human rights and humanitarian standards were integral to the peace process and a negotiated settlement.

Two days before the Paris meetings, the LTTE too appealed to the international community to persuade Sri Lanka to give up its ``hardline'' militaristic approach.

Mr. Peiris denied there was any pressure on Sri Lanka at the Forum to quickly enter negotiations with the Tigers. He reportedly said that in any case, Sri Lanka had made it clear that the resolution of the conflict was the Government's ``first and most major'' priority.

There is no indication yet of how much money has been pledged to Sri Lanka after these meetings by the Forum, known earlier as the Paris Aid Group, but Mr. Peiris told journalists that it had the ``solid support of the donor community.''

The Minister declined to reveal how much was pledged by the forum, and said the World Bank had made it clear that no figure would be given. But he said the Asian Development Bank had loaned US $ 100 million to help develop the power sector. At the last meeting of the Development Forum in May 1998, donor countries pledged US $ 780 million.

Opposition members demanded in Parliament today that the Government come clean with the figure. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, replied that the Government would soon make a statement on the Development Forum meetings.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Breakthrough year in Indo-Russian ties
Next     : Pak. to make 1971 war report public