Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, founder and President of Sarvodaya, stated today in a Washington Post article that political cooperation between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE is necessary if the tsunami disaster relief effort is to be complete and successful. He said that
Neither the Tigers nor the government “can repair this unprecedented damage without some kind of political settlement,” said A.T. Ariyaratne, the founder and president of the Sarvodaya Movement, Sri Lanka’s largest nongovernmental organization. “Both sides can’t go to war. That is definite. This is a very great opportunity we have where both sides should come together first for relief, then for rehabilitation, which can be followed with reconciliation.
Click here for the complete article.
I have the greatest sympathy for the suffering that the tragic wave has caused in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. My family has donated through the Joint Distribution Committee, a Jewish organization that addresses problems of this kind. I hope that the government of Sri Lanka can rethink its refusal to allow Israeli help. Israel is one of the great countries of this world. They have built a high-technology society despite being surrounded by a huge population hostile to it for no reason other than religious prejudice. Israel’s enemies spread lies about Israel and Jews, and they provoke Israel into responding in kind for horrible attrocities committed by fanatical terrorists daily. I really hope that your government can rethink its position, and that Israel will rapidly be welcomed into the team of nations helping to rebuild what was lost in your country.
regards.
—jdu
The tsunami was a natural disaster however the response in Sri Lanka exposes a basic human indeceny on the part of the government. The Sri Lanka government is attempting to use this as political leverage to exert greater military control over the north and east and further the suffering of the Tamils in these areas. The LTTE are perfectly within thier rights to display sceptism of the governments intentions to distribute aid through the armed forces. I can only hope the NGOs can access the regions that charities such as yourself are ignoring.