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2011 declared as Visit Sri Lanka Year

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that with terrorism defeated, the government has ended the need for travel advisories that cripple tourism.

In an address at the launch of the new image of Sri Lanka Tourism late on Tuesday, Mr. Rajapaksa said tourists need not fear to visit Sri Lanka’s attractions. On the occasion, Sri Lanka Tourism officially launched its new logo and tagline, “Sri Lanka Small Miracle”.

Referring to the new opportunities for tourism, Mr. Rajapaksa said: “We can now add Passikudah and Trincomalee, up to Kokilai Lagoon in the East, as major tourist attractions, and many locations in the North too, as part of the Uthuru Vasanthaya — the development agenda for the North.”

Mr. Rajapaksa declared 2011 as “Visit Sri Lanka Year”.

Meanwhile, United States said it did not recognise the “provisional transitional government of Tamil Eelam” and would continue to list the LTTE as a terrorist outfit

Speaking via live web chat on Tuesday night, senior U.S. State Department official Gregg Sullivan said though the U.S. welcomed reports that the LTTE had renounced violence and would now pursue its objectives through peaceful means there was a long way to go before the Tigers could be considered a reliable entity.

“Towards the end of the conflict, their [LTTE] efforts to keep civilians in the war zone, block their departure from war-ravaged areas and their firing from civilian areas put civilians at risk. They’re going to have to demonstrate clearly that the tactics they’ve used for the last 30 years really are in the past, aside from the passage of time and a clear record of constructive engagement,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Secretariat said the World Bank on Tuesday approved a $24-million International Development Association (IDA) credit, providing further support to the government’s health service delivery programme, with particular emphasis on the special health needs in the North and East arising out of the recent conflict.

In another development, the Defence Ministry said troops uncovered 100 kilograms of gold jewellery and Sri Lankan Rs.6.5 million in Mullaiwaikkal. They also uncovered a large consignment of LTTE military items.

Separately, attorneys appearing on behalf of the Sunday Leader newspaper in a case filed against the newspaper by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa have withdrawn, claiming they cannot appear against the Defence Secretary due to his dedication for the country.

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