Establish NGO advisory and diaspora division

By Supun Dias

Terrorism expert Prof. Rohan Gunaratne yesterday advised the government to establish an NGO advisory division and a diaspora division to counter the propaganda of the LTTE international network against Sri Lanka.

He was speaking at the KDU Symposium 2011, ‘Challenges of Post Conflict Sri Lanka’ organized by the Sir John Kotalawela Defence University.

He said: “Our missions have to be more active. The foreign ministry could not counter the misinformation and false propaganda made by the LTTE internationally”, he said. He said that although the LTTE leadership was defeated their international network cannot be countered by Sri Lanka alone.

“We need to enhance cooperation with our foreign partners. The LTTE has transformed into a propaganda organization now and the government should take steps to engage with the diaspora”, he said.

 “The strategy adopted by the government in the post conflict era by initiating socio economic development, political engagement and providing humanitarian assistance for those who suffered during the war”, he said.

“The main objective of people like Rudrakumaran is to lobby international leaders and especially politicians who are greedy for votes against our country by providing them with false and biased accusations”, Prof. Gunaratne said.

He further stated that in the year 1995, 95 per cent of the weapons were procured from Lebanon and Eastern European countries. “In 1997, 95 per cent of the weapons came from North Korea. US intelligence were very helpful to us in arresting leading arms dealers of the LTTE”, he added.