China pledges to assist rebuilding north

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 September 2002, 16:40 GMT]
The Chinese government Friday promised that it would offer financial assistance to rebuild houses destroyed by war in the Jaffna district. "My government is developing a rehabilitation programme for implementation in the north," said Chinese ambassador in Colombo, Mr.Jiang Quizheng, addressing a conference at the Jaffna district secretariat Friday. The Ambassador during his visit to Jaffna inspected the Point Pedro jetty, which is in the high security zone of the Sri Lanka Army.

He also visited the Naga Vihare and the Nallur Kanthasamy Temple.

The Jaffna's Additional Government Mr.T.Vaithilingam presided. The additional secretary to the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Mr.Kumaradas also attended the conference.

The Chinese ambassador said he was on a visit to war-ravaged north to assess the needs of the people and seek the views of the authorities to rebuild the province. "It is the duty of the international community to come forward to provide assistance to the people of the north," said the Ambassador. If proper assistance is provided Jaffna will become a second capital of the island within a period of five years," stressed the Chinese envoy.

"The Chinese government will support the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to take the peace process forward to find a permanent settlement to the conflict," said the Chinese ambassador.

The Chinese ambassador at the conference held at Jaffna district secretariat stressed that the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE should join hands to develop the north.

Meanwhile the Norwegian head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Major General (retd) Trond Furuhovde paid a visit to Vavuniya Thursday to explore ways to expedite resettlement of internally displaced persons in the northeast province. According to district secretariat sources, about five thousand IDPs will be resettled in Vavuniya before the end of this year.

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