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High level Australian Parliamentary delegation visits Sri Lanka

13 December 2011 Politics 3 CommentsPrint This Post Print This Post Email This Post Email This Post

A five member Australian parliamentary delegation visited Sri Lanka on the invitation of Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.

The delegation which arrived on December 8, is led by Maria Vamvakinou MP, of the ruling Labour Party. She’s accompanied by another Labour Party MP, Harry Jenkins who till recently was the speaker of the House of Representatives. Three other members from the opposition Liberal Party are also part of the delegation.

The Australian MPs called on Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa at the Parliament on December 9. Both sides welcomed the opportunity to enhance cooperation between the two respective Parliaments and to broaden the dialogue between law makers of the two countries.

This is seen as an opportunity for Australian lawmakers to witness first-hand the reconciliation process that is underway in Sri Lanka and assess the reconstruction and development that is taking place in the country since the end of the conflict. Australia has offered significant developmental aid to Sri Lanka in recent years often contributing more than the stipulated amounts in the federal budget, states the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Australian delegation also held talks with the Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister, Nimal Siripala De Silva, External Affairs Minister, Prof. G.L Peiris, Economic Development Minister, Basil Rajapaksa, Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the president of the Sri Lanka – Australia Parliamentary Friendship Association, MP Thilanga Sumathipala,. Later in their visit the delegates are due to call on the External Affairs Minister, Prof. G.L Peiris.

The Sri Lanka High Commission in Australia was instrumental in organizing this visit.

3 Comments »

  1. The Australian delegation also must talk to the Opposition Parties specially the major Tamil party, TNA, and the war affected people who are denied their voice by the mono-ethnic army deployed in Tamil areas in great numbers. The government ministers and government-servants are instructed to tell the government views of what is happening. It will be useful to see the huts, bomb-ridden buildings and the corrugated shacks where the internally displaced people are forced to survive.

    //Saleem
    13 December 2011 at 9:42 PM

  2. It is the pity that they left out Don Randal. He would have come back and said there was no war in Sri Lanka and the tsunami was the work of LTTE. May be we arrange a separate trip for them. A golden opportunity for the Australians to go on a white van terrorist tours.

    //Lanka Liar
    14 December 2011 at 12:50 AM

  3. If the purpose of the visit includes ‘looking into the reconciliation efforts being made in the country’ as reported by the government, I don’t see how meeting those who are accused of perpetrating the crimes and claiming loudly ‘we are doing every thing possible’ alone will given an insight into the realities on the ground.
    Lankan government is masterful in the art of lying and it has managed to lie its way through the UN for years. Lying to the Australians would seem like ‘eating a piece of cake’ to them.

    //GypsyOwl
    14 December 2011 at 1:00 AM

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