The change in Sri Lanka made the USA to change, said Sri Lankan Ambassador to USA Jaliya Wickramasuriya in an interview with the Sunday Observer during a brief visit to Sri Lanka. Ambassador Wickramasuriya spoke of the hard work Sri Lankans in USA did to save the good name of their motherland.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: The SL Government is making every effort to eradicate shadow LTTE movements existing internationally. In this backdrop what is the situation in USA?

A: During the last two years we had a lot of pressure from human rights groups and pro LTTE diaspora. Right now there is comparatively nothing. The changes that took place in Sri Lanka changed the mindset of the people in USA as well, especially at decision making levels. Even the image of a Sri Lankan politician changed with what President Mahinda Rajapaksa initiated – not only to eradicate terrorism but in all his efforts to develop the country socially, economically and culturally. But still there are a few groups trying to create problems. According to our statistics, the pro LTTE diaspora who live among Sri Lankan Tamils in USA is less than 2500. The total number of Sri Lankan expatriates in USA is around 250,000. . As the numbers grow less, the pro LTTE diaspora want to amplify their voice in order to maintain their false image. According to information gathered each person fabricates and sends hundreds of e-mails under different names to different groups of people. It is this small number who makes our lives as well as their own lives miserable. Earlier we knew that normal Tamil people were blocked by pro LTTErs preventing them reaching us. Some used to get letters of extortion. But today, any Sri Lankan, irrespective of ethnicity can easily reach us, discuss and solve whatever the problems they face.

Q: So Sri Lankans are living more peacefully with each other?

A: I work very closely with the Tamil diaspora. I meet these different groups in the cities they live, in my outreach program. I always tell them that this is the time to forget differences and unite as Sri Lankans. Actually the normal Tamil diaspora was very supportive of the Government efforts to end terrorism. But it was the extremists who were creating the problems and blocked the other Tamils reaching us.

Please click here for the full interview