Julie Bishop MP and Scott Morrison MP Joint Press Conference ABC News 24
Posted on February 13th, 2013
IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢m satisfied that Australia should attend and should encourage other Commonwealth countries to attend. The Sri Lankan government is not perfect but it is making inroads into the challenges facing the country and should be encouraged to continue to do so,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ she said during an interview with ABC after leading a delegation to Sri Lanka early this month. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-As a result of our visit we are satisfied that the policy positions that we have taken are the correct ones at this time.
It was not our job to visit Sri Lanka to take sides between the Sinhalese and the Tamils, it was not our job to involve ourselves in domestic policies or domestic politics or indeed some of the controversies but we certainly spoke to many people about these issues,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ she said. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We have to remember that Sri Lanka is emerging from a bloody conflict, a 30 year civil war. The Tigers, the LTTE was in fact a proscribed terrorist organisation in a number of places around the world. The Sri Lankan forces defeated the LTTE forces and we must remember that the LTTE had a navy, an air force and had essentially occupied northern Sri Lanka. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced as a result of the conflict which ended three years ago,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Bishop said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_us_2XXRKmc
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We visited Jaffna and Kilinochchi in the northern province which was held by the Tigers for so many years and we were struck by the amount of reconstruction work that is going on. Billions of rupee have been invested in major infrastructure projects, roads, and this is all quite self-evident when you travel up to Jaffna. New highways, roadworks everywhere, water sanitation projects, electricity transmission. You have to remember much of the north has never had electricity and now a majority of the north has electricity. ThereƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s still some way to go. The mobile phone coverage was superb. Indeed I got better mobile phone coverage throughout the north of Sri Lanka than I do driving through Kings Park in Western Australia,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ she said.
February 13th, 2013 at 5:30 pm
“Indeed I got better mobile phone coverage throughout the north of Sri Lanka than I do driving through Kings Park in Western Australia.”
WOW!
Well said Julie Bishop. Please tell that to the stupid Brits, Canadians and Americunts.
February 13th, 2013 at 6:36 pm
There is a general election in Australia scheduled for September. With a bit of luck this current bogus refugee sympathetic government of Julia Gillard will be replaced by the less gullible Coalition.
February 13th, 2013 at 6:36 pm
Hard work engaging Liberal leaders are paying off…. Labour in Aus is very corrupt and on ltte money bag.
I met these leaders at the airport for the briefing last year…
February 13th, 2013 at 8:57 pm
SPUR, AFSA, Sri Lanka Support Group have all done a great job in Australia. It is this collective work that pays.
However, the real reason for Liberals’ visit to Sri Lanka and giving a good report back has little to do with genuine understanding. It is in line with their “stop the boats” election slogan. Generally in Australia Sinhalese are with Liberals/Nationals while Tamils are with Labour/Greens. A Liberal/National win will make things a little better for Sri Lanka relations and also good for the Australian economy.
February 14th, 2013 at 12:48 am
Not only the Liberals, the Labour Govt Forein Minister Mr Bob Carr too visited sriLanka recently and made a similar statement. Are we not glad that the leading Australian politicians, other than the Greens have managed to avoid being influenced by the false propoganda of the LTTE diaspora and their Sinhala, Tamil and Caucasian stooges in Australia.
February 14th, 2013 at 7:48 am
Glad to know Aussies have finally seeing the light…!
As a Sri Lankan-Canadian, I am sick and tired of Canadian politicians, including PM Harper and his band of idiotic ministers, who are going after ethnic votes, especially Tamils’, who have mastered the art of manipulation of the western politicians by dangling their highly exaggerated votes.
If they do it right, Australia can set an example for the other political idiots in Canada, UK, US, etc, not to fall into Tamil Diaspora trap of using SL to promote their agenda of creating Eelam..
I hope these idiots will wake up and see the reality, the way Australians have realised… Thank you Mates..!
February 14th, 2013 at 7:48 am
Well said Julie Bishop MP and Scott Morrison MP !!!
My hats off for the genuine comments made regarding Sri Lanka,OUR MOTHERLANKA, to you two whowere not BRIBED BY THE BRUTAL LTTE SUPPORTERS.
Such comments were possible due to their visiting Sri Lanka and not thrue HEARESAY BY COMEDIANS.
THIS IS THE VERY REASON WHY OUR GREAT PRESIDENT TOLD THE WORLD, “EWA, BALAWA!!!” -VISIT & SEE FOR YOURSELVES!
February 14th, 2013 at 10:06 am
sinhalese have to be careful not to spend all our money to develop north and give all the powers to Palath sabha. it is very dangerous.Brtitish did the same thing and later they became more powerful to demand 50- 50
May be Mahinda is trying to plaese the westerners so that he can stop their chriticisms . No they willnot stop
British know that they have a duty to help Tamils because they brought them to Sri Lanka.and they dont want Tamils to ask Brtish to take them and settle them in BritainTo avoid that they always support Tamilsm.
It isthe coorrect time to abolish 13th Hehas all the powers
February 14th, 2013 at 1:11 pm
Agree with Senevirath.
No matter how much development you do to Tamils they will NEVER EVER support SL. They will ALWAYS support TE.
This is in their culture. Just look at the elections AFTER 2009 and BEFORE 1983.
NO BRITISH, NO TAMILS.
February 14th, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Government should build a highways to North and the East. That will bring North and East close to the South. It will make the division smaller and smaller.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:22 pm
Nihal Perera says “Glad to know Aussies have finally seeing the light…! As a Sri Lankan-Canadian, I am sick and tired of Canadian politicians …”
I have greatest sympathy for the genuine Sri Lankan Canadians. Canada used to be a great country prior to 1983 after the huge influx of mostly bogus Tamil refugees – many of them well-heeled Colombo people. Fortunately Australia was able to stave off such a one-sided demographic influx. Canada needs more non-Tamil immigrants from Sri Lanka, particularly in the GTA dont you think? Only the demographic factor will sway self-serving Canadian politicians.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:27 pm
LL,
Not only that. People should be ACTUALLY settled there. Otherwise it will be the SAME TNA bugs.
Bridges can bridge humans, NOT tribal Tamils and humans.
February 14th, 2013 at 8:28 pm
Government should build a highways to Russia and the China. may be to Australia too.
February 15th, 2013 at 6:37 am
Lorenzo,
“Not only that. People should be ACTUALLY settled there. Otherwise it will be the SAME TNA bugs.”
Some of the army personnel are engaged in various civilian development work in the North and the East. This is a very clever and sensible way of constructively using the large manpower that would otherwise be idling. Demobilising would have been bad as it would have added to the number that deserted the army.
They must be given title deeds to land there too; after all they liberated the land and the people from the fascists.
February 15th, 2013 at 8:36 am
Julie honest enough even to be a Bishop!