Chula Rajapakse MNZM/ Spokesperson USLA  

The year  began with the communal strife stirring news   that A Tamil Genocide/ Mullivaikal Remembrance  day ,along the lines of those in Ontario Canada, was to be observed at meeting  to be held on the 18^th May’21  in Auckland, , the day before the Ranaviru commemoration  in Wellington. Spurred on by frustrations expressed by many in the community  at this news, I wrote to Prime Minister Jacinda Arden expressing these frustrations, siting this as  a violation  of our human rights through being the targets of a now clearly disproven allegation. I provided the reasons  why these allegations were false.. I asked that she uses  her offices to ensure that at the very least in future  such a meeting should designated as  one that remembers the Tamil victims of our three decade long war rather than a remembrance of a genocide that never happened.  

In response to this letter, I along with USLA President  and Vice President were called to a meeting at the Parliament with  MP’s Vanushi Walters and Greg O’Connor on the 12^th of June to whom we repeated our concerns and requested  MP Walters to discuss  changing the designation of any future Tamil commemoration events in keeping with our request. She undertook to do so at a meeting  with Tamil groups ,  due in a few weeks. We also requested both MP’s to explore using their offices opportunities to foster greater and cordial interaction between the two communities  in NZ.  

The Auckland Supermarket Bombing  on the 5^th of September by an ISIS inspired terrorist ,of Sri Lankan origin drew a swift response of condemnation and  disapproval from President Mahesh to the Press. I reinforced this a day or two later and also  conveyed the concern of many in the Sri Lankan community at Prime Minister Jacinda Arden , in her TV address to the Nation, giving too much prominence to his Sri Lankan origin when , the crime had nothing to do with  that and all to do with his being ISIS inspired terrorist” , and that too while in NZ for the preceding 10years.

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It was gratifying to note that in her subsequent addresses on the subject, she appeared to have paid heed to our concerns. This also led to my being given an opportunity by TV1 to repeat these same concerns on their 6pm News  a few days later. 

Many of us were also concerned to learn through the media a few weeks later in September of another couple being granted refugee status in NZ , having been under surveillance in Sri Lanka for possible links with Islamic terrorism. Given the significant similarities between the circumstances of this couple and those of the Auckland supermarket bomber, I wrote to the Prime Minister again , drawing attention to this and the associated risks  to NZ from these. This caution also evoked considerable interest   in the NZ media.   

Much of my efforts as USLA spokesperson for the past several decades has been to counter misinformation adverse to Sri Lanka, levelled mostly by the Tiger Terrorists and their diaspora ,  aimed at, among others  destroying the resolve and self belief of Sri Lankans to achieve success.

However , in the last year much of such challenges of orchestrated negative information and some  times frank misinformation   came  not from  overtly Tiger sources  but apparently  from other  politically motivated sources, yet   leading to the same result of a sense of hopelessness and despair among Sri Lankans which was quite the opposite of what was required if Sri Lanka was to overcome the many economic  and other challenges it has been facing over the last year or so.  

I have there for spent considerable efforts in the last few months to disseminate as widely as possible, positive information about Sri Lanka high lighting many of it’s commendable achievements like the highy successful covid control, high lights of infrastructure development like the commissioning of the Golden Gate Kalyani Bridge , the Mirigama  Kurunegala section of the central highway, & the promenade of the Colombo port city and the resulting  beautiful vistas. I have also disseminated information of  the many new manufacturing  achievements like  with motor cars, tyres, pharmaceuticals, constructions in the Hambantota EPZ,, increased activity in the Hambantota see port and Mattala Airport, agricultural revivals like in the  Sugarcane industry,  natural gas exploration in the Mannar Basin, etc.

With these many positive developments on going in Sri Lanka, it is hoped that Sri Lanka will be able to overcome it’s other challenges too, with all sections of it’s populace responding to the call of it’s national anthem, Eka Mawakuge  Daru Kala Bavina, Yamu Yamu Vi  Nopama,  Go  forth without delay like children of one mother.  

Thank You

Chula Rajapakse MNZM/ Spokesperson USLA  26. 3.22