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Wednesday, Oct 22, 2008
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Internally displaced Tamils not being neglected: Rajapaksa

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday maintained that a “wrong impression” had been created in Tamil Nadu about the alleged neglect by his government of those internally displaced (IDPs) in the war-torn north and the ongoing military operations to “defeat terrorism.”

Talking to Sri Lanka media heads and editors at his office, Mr. Rajapaksa said, “Our primary responsibility as a government is to look after all our citizens. I carry out this responsibility to the fullest, especially with regard to the people who are temporarily displaced in the north, due to the ongoing military operations to defeat terrorism. There is a wrong impression created in Tamil Nadu that this has not been done. This is furthest from the correct position. All these are our citizens and we take every measure to look after and provide for them.”

A statement by the Presidential Secretariat on the meeting quoted Mr. Rajapaksa as complaining that the figures of the IDPs from the current Wanni operations were inflated. “He was aware that some misconceptions were created by reports in the Tamil newspapers which were under pressure not to report the facts as they were.”

Mr. Rajapaksa told the meeting that recently when the WFP turned back a convoy of essential supplies to IDPs because of a culvert damage, within two days the government agencies ensured that the supplies were delivered. At present, there were food supplies for two months in the affected areas where the IDPs were not more than 150,000.

“We continue to supply food even to the LTTE because our responsibility is to the civilians, the farmers and the rural producers of the region who are trapped by the LTTE,” the statement said.

In response to a question, Mr. Rajapaksa said the friendly relations between Sri Lanka and India remained very strong and New Delhi had always helped us when necessary and supported the island nation in international fora.

“He was aware of the political pressures in India at the moment, especially considering the reality of coalition politics and the diverse interests that surface in such situations,” the statement said.

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