Foreign Affairs committee  World Vision has been engaged in community development work, but the hidden agenda has been conversion as well. There was a presidential commission held earlier. They had to come before the presidential commission. A particular project was highlighted called the Mustard Seed Project.

Foreign Affairs committee  There is nothing to prevent anybody; you are free.... For instance, when I was there on holiday, I was staying with my wife's sister. There were Christian folk who came, knocked on the door, and would chat or hand out literature. There's no problem with that, but these allurements given to the poor, exploiting their poverty and then asking them to go and publicly smash their idols, their religious idols, that is what is causing the problem.

Foreign Affairs committee  There was a move by the LTTE. After the war and the terrorism, several countries started banning the LTTE. Their sources of funding were blocked. They offered to come to a ceasefire, and they said that they were willing to settle for something short of separation. At the talks, they only bought time to rebuild their forces.

Foreign Affairs committee  Right. The government thought there was an opportunity to reach a negotiated settlement, but the LTTE was laughing all the time. They never intended to reach any settlement. They were still seeking their separate state, for which they were bringing in weapons, buying time, and delaying.

Foreign Affairs committee  I'd like to add a word. This terrorist problem has been going on for nearly 30 years. The people in the south are not sure, when they go to work, whether they will return home--

Foreign Affairs committee  Canada could certainly help with the redevelopment of that region. There is a lot of work to be done, because 20 years have gone by and we have seen pictures of the civilians coming out of the northern areas that have been retaken by the Sri Lankan forces. The people have lived in extreme poverty while the Tamil Tigers were building beautiful palaces for themselves--air conditioned houses, every facility for the LTTE leadership.

Foreign Affairs committee  It is to eliminate the Tamil Tiger fighters. But they're not going into the no-fire zone. They've been battling them in the remaining sliver that the Tigers are holding. Also, they've been trying to dig up all the hidden weapons, because if some of these Tamil Tigers manage to get into the jungle, this would prevent them from again causing trouble in the country.

Foreign Affairs committee  I don't believe that. An international committee kept saying earlier it is an unwinnable war; you cannot defeat the Tigers. Within the space of two years after the Tigers launched their final war for liberation, the government retaliated when they cut off water to the farmers in Maavilaru.

Foreign Affairs committee  If I may, I would comment on that. It is not that the Sinhalese and Tamils cannot get along or that they are so hostile and they will kill each other. They live as neighbours and they work in the same offices in the city in most parts of Sri Lanka. In fact, before, the Sinhalese organized something called the brotherhood train, which started in the deep south in the town of Matara, with several stops on the way.

Foreign Affairs committee  That happened in November. Our own organization, after the eastern province was retaken by the government, provided school books for one of the new schools that the government established there. The children didn't have a school earlier. We provided school books. We provided mosquito nets.

Foreign Affairs committee  That is happening right now. I know of so many volunteer groups who are running medical clinics, medical camps, in remote areas, in Tamil villages. There are Sinhalese groups who have been taking things for these displaced Tamils, so it's not an isolated event. I was there in Sri Lanka for two months, from December to February, and while I was there in fact there were things like medical equipment....

Foreign Affairs committee  Pardon me. I'm sorry, but I didn't have English interpretation.

Foreign Affairs committee  I don't think the people of Sri Lanka would be agreeable to breaking up their country. That won't be negotiable. Certainly they will be brought in, and they have a place even today. A majority of the Tamil people live among the Sinhalese and the Muslims. Only a very small minority was being kept by the Tiger forces, the Tamil Tigers.

Foreign Affairs committee  There is no embargo. The food is being shipped. Some of the food shipments have been attacked by the LTTE. Even a cargo ship that came to drop off food for the displaced civilians was attacked by artillery, and the ship had to be taken back to deep water. In spite of all these difficulties, food is being delivered.

Foreign Affairs committee  The NGOs may have complained earlier, but today I find that NGOs are worried that some of their staff who were not allowed to come over have been conscripted by the LTTE, and even their families are not being allowed free movement. So I suppose the decision of the government that it was difficult to guarantee their security was right.