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Sri Lanka donors to follow new aid code

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: The main donors to Sri Lanka have signed on a set of 10 "Guiding Principles for Humanitarian and Development Assistance in Sri Lanka" with a view to "impartially provide humanitarian and development help to citizens in need, not to fuel conflict or terrorism".

Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights was present along with representatives of the donor countries here on Tuesday to mark the public launch of the Guiding Principles.

The donor countries which signed the Guiding Principles are: Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, the United States and the European Commission.

All NGOs or other implementing partners funded by these donors, such as the United Nations and the World Bank, are committed to the Guiding Principles. "The Guiding Principles are intended to reassure the people of Sri Lanka about the constructive and professional approach underpinning our work in Sri Lanka", a statement by the signatories to the code said.

The Guiding Principles underline the "conditions required" to enable donors and their implementing partners to work, such as having access to all people in need to provide help and receiving security needed to carry out the work.

Separately, President Mahinda Rajapaksa discussed with the Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Oswald Gomis, the Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, and the Bishop of Chilaw, Rt. Rev. Valence Mendis, the possibility of setting up a peace zone comprising the Madhu Church precincts and the surrounding areas in the north.

A statement by the President's Secretariat said Mr. Rajapaksa informed the Bishops that when he met Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisco Bertone during his recent visit there, his attention had been drawn to the facilities and security for Madhu pilgrims.

In continuing hostilities, Sri Lanka Air Force jets pounded a "key LTTE military base" in the Mullaittivu area on Tuesday. However, TamilNet alleged that three persons were killed in the air strike.

"Twelve houses were damaged and children from a school located 75 metres near the attack site narrowly escaped the attack", it said.

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