US Ambassador Robert Blake cancels visit to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 February 2009, 22:59 GMT]
Ambassador of United States of America in Sri Lanka, Robert Blake, who was expected to be the chief guest in the opening ceremony of the ‘Health Village’ constructed in Pa’n’nai in Jaffna Wednesday cancelled his visit to Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Colombo, James R. Moore who arrived in Jaffna Tuesday is expected to fill the place of the US Ambassador, the sources added.

Director of Medical Team International, Donnie Woodyard, Political Officer, Mike Dedar accompanied James R. Moore.

The ‘Health Village’ was constructed under ‘Emergency Medical Service to Jaffna District’ by USAID, WHO, MTI and UNCOR.

The US Ambassador was expected to stay in Jaffna for two days.

Meanwhile, the visiting officials met Tuesday afternoon Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam at Jaffna Bishop House where matters related to the humanitarian disaster in Vanni and the state of affairs in Jaffna peninsula were discussed, Bishop House sources said.

The officials also paid a visit around 5:30 p.m to the office of the Uthayan Tamil daily office where they met representatives of the editorial board and held talks with them for nearly an hour.

Uthayan daily is functioning under trying conditions for the last two years with police protection.