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AMBASSADOR BERNARD GOONETILLEKE
SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES
HIS TOUR OF DUTY
Ambassador Bernard Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka’s
Ambassador to the United States of America, since April
12, 2005, completed his tour of duty successfully, and returned
to Sri Lanka with his wife, Mrs. Maria Goonetilleke, on
June 29, 2008.
AMBASSADOR BERNARD GOONETILLEKE
SPEAKS TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
ON SRI LANKA’S POTENTIAL FOR TOURISM
Surf’s Up
Surfers around the world have discovered
a new place to ride the waves, a tear-shaped island in the
Indian Ocean called Sri Lanka.
Despite a civil war that has claimed 70,00
lives over 30 years, the island the size of West Virginia
is especially popular with Israeli surfers, and the government
is planning to install cameras along the best beaches so
surfers can monitor the waves over the Internet.
All this is good news to Ambassador Bernard
Goonetilleke, who served as Sri Lanka's envoy in Washington
for the past three years and is retiring to his homeland
after a 40-year diplomatic career. At 63, however, he is
not planning to hit the surf, but he sees its potential
for tourism.
Full
Article
WHY A SEPARATE STATE IN SRI LANKA IS AN IMPRACTICAL
GOAL
The Embassy of Sri Lanka, responding to
an extensive disinformation campaign regarding the history
of Sri Lanka, being carried out by the separatist lobby
in the US and elsewhere, has developed a PowerPoint program,
with authentic historical information on pertinent issues.
For instance:
-
According to the “Temporal
and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon”, Portuguese
Historian De Queyros (Book I; page 101), by the early
16th Century, the island was divided into 5 sub-kingdoms;
“that of Cota (Kotte) to which all others were
tributary (subordinate) acknowledging the King as Emperor.”
One such Sub-Kingdom with a Sub-Ruler was Jaffnapatnam.
- Rev. Phillipus Baldeus, the Dutch historian, who lived
in Jaffna for many years around 1658 A.D., stated that the
ruler of Jaffna had jurisdiction over a limited area in
the north, including Jaffnapattnam, the adjacent isles and
the island of Mannar.
- Robert Knox, the Englishman, who landed in Kottiyar in
the Trincomalee District in 1659 A.D., was apprehended by
the Dissawa of Tambalegam (Tambalagama or Tampalakamam),
and was produced before the King in Kandy.
These, among other authentic historical
facts, prove that the statement in the Vadukkodai Resolution
of 1976 that Tamils were in possession of the northern and
eastern provinces from the dawn of history, is a myth.
These facts prove that the East was never
a part of a Tamil Kingdom, as the separatist lobby falsely
claims.
The PowerPoint program presents
a better understanding of the history of the island and
the myths surrounding the conflict.
Click
for program
PEACE FOR SRI LANKA?
Tamil Tigers fight democracy
The logical solution to Sri Lanka's conflict
is a negotiated settlement, and the political will to achieve
it has never been stronger. President Mahinda Rajapaksa
expressed that commitment at his inauguration in November
2005, and reiterated his position in the United Kingdom
this month. "Ultimately, any solution will have to
be political. But there can be a political solution only
after the LTTE has laid down arms," the army commander
said in January. However, paradoxically, some friends of
Sri Lanka feel the need to remind us every now and then
that there is no military solution to the conflict.
On the other hand, the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE's) unwavering strategy is to establish
nothing but a mono-ethnic, separate state. If that was not
the case, the Tigers would have taken administrative control
of the north and east in 1987, facilitated by the Indo-Lanka
Accord. Or they would have strived for a federal arrangement
as agreed in Oslo in December 2002 rather than unilaterally
walking away from negotiations in April 2003, as they have
several times before. Sadly,the LTTE's slogan, "The
thirst of the Tigers is the Homeland of Tamil Eelam,"
remains unchanged. Naturally, Sri Lanka has to thwart that
stratagem by weakening the LTTE's military muscleHence the
military push against the Tigers.
Nevertheless, with a president who refuses
to be intimidated by the Tigers, Sri Lanka has seen the
welcome liberation of the east, where, less than a year
ago, marauding Tigers roamed, mauling innocent civilians
at will. With the Sri Lanka Supreme Court's groundbreaking
judgment in October 2006 to delink east from north, a separate
state encompassing north and east is now only a pipe dream
for the Tigers.
Full
Story
PUBLIC DAY FOR EXPATRIATE SRI LANKAN COMMUNITY AT THE
EMBASSY OF
SRI LANKA, WASHINGTON DC
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington
DC is pleased to inform the members of the expatriate community
that it will hold a Public Day every Thursday from 10.00
a.m to 1.00 p.m.
The Sri Lankan diaspora in the United States
could meet the Head of Mission between 10.00 a.m to 1.00
p.m without prior appointment on this day.
The above arrangement is being launched
as part of the implementation of policy set out in the Mahinda
Chintana, to enhance ties with the expatriate Sri Lankan
community to promote Sri Lanka’s interests overseas.
The Sri Lankan diaspora may discuss any
matters in this context at these meetings.
Embassy of Sri Lanka,
Washington DC
SRI LANKAN EXPATRIATES IN
THE U.S. INVITED TO CONTACT THE EMBASSY
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington
D.C. is inviting all Sri Lankans and Sri Lanka related
groups throughout the U.S. to establish contact with
the Embassy. These individuals and groups are requested
to provide the details
in the attached format, relating to themselves and
to their respective organizations.
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Embassy of Sri Lanka - Washington
DC, USA
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