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UK can do more in SL development - British High Com

July 15, 2010  02:53 pm

Now is an important time in Sri Lanka’s economic development and the UK is already playing a role, through the companies represented by the Council for Business with Britain (CBB), but we can do more, stated Acting British High Commissioner, Mark Gooding at the 10th Annual General Meeting of the CBB.

This will further help develop the strong existing economic and cultural links between our two countries at this exciting time for Sri Lanka,” he said.

The Council for Business with Britain is expecting more business volumes between the two countries with the end of a three decade conflict.

Sri Lanka is on the threshold of a new economic era where the private sector will have to play an important role and the Council must look at ways to interact with its member in order to assist them in benefiting from the expected upturn in trade and business in general, stated Mr. Nick Nicolaou, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives.

The CBB has a diverse membership of over 140 companies.

The CBB has also continued to support the English Language Teacher Training programme now in its fifth year and run on their behalf by the British Council in association with the National Institute of Education and the Ministry of Education. Aimed at improving the English language skills of pupils in rural schools, the programme concentrates on building the capacity of English language teachers so they can deliver lessons more effectively.

^{Government News Portal}

Viewer Comments

July 15, 2010  03:02 pm

With all respect, Britain has her hands full at the moment trying to get out of the economic mess and make ends meet. Despite a lot of pontificating, the actual work may not amount to much.

Kan Kuna

July 15, 2010  03:06 pm

Thank you vey much. Great Britain

N M Iftjikar

July 15, 2010  03:16 pm

ohoma kiwwata yatinne game eka denne..

Gamunu putha

July 15, 2010  03:34 pm

It´s a goodmove,but don´t try to mess with Our internal affairs.

Dinadxb

July 15, 2010  03:37 pm

as i have heard, exports from SL to UK is higher than export to SL from UK. they want to turn it around. we should be mindful dealing with these cunning people.

padmika

July 15, 2010  03:44 pm

Britain being responsible to a large extent in turning a blind eye to LTTE terrorists fund raising in UK, should confiscate all the money collected by LTTE fronts and use them to develop Sri Lanka´s economy, if they are genuinely interested.

Wickrama

July 15, 2010  03:46 pm

No matter from where, mutually beneficial business is a great thing to have indeed!!! Business that comes attached with unreasonable and intrusive conditions that are totally unrelated to the business concerned however, Sri Lanka can do fine without. This is because, such business can do a lot more harm to this country in the long run than anything good. Sri Lanka has had plenty of very bad experiences with business that comes attached with totally unrelated, unreasonable and intrusive conditions attached, especially when doing business with the west.

Charitha

July 15, 2010  03:54 pm

UK tried hard to keep the tigers alive (can remember the untiring efforts of Milliband)and gain their economic benefits. Now its good to understand their opportunities by the means of democratic and diplomatic ways and means.

Country First

July 15, 2010  03:59 pm

Like what ?? Cutting down GSP+, pressing the unnessesarily for human rights and so on ....

wara

July 15, 2010  04:19 pm

yes yes we can the the role they are playing!!

asanka

July 15, 2010  04:49 pm

Action is better than words.

anura

July 15, 2010  05:11 pm

Development of relationships with UK will be helped to our economy. Personally I feel that abhorrence of some people with UK is due to lack of inter cultural sensitivity of them.

Han

July 15, 2010  05:18 pm

UK If you are sincere please restore our GSP what are you are saying and what are doing are entirely different things at present. More You EU USA UN try to corner SL for wiping out bunch of deadliest terrorists on earth, farther we go away from West leaning towards CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN LIBYA etc for our survival. Please be sincere UK, forget past shake hands and help SL. at this stage. We cherish friendship of all countries East and West North and South and every corners of the world. Please do not blackmail us on GSP IMF loans, Aid,because flimsy claims by diaspora elements, NGOs, Peace Industry, on human right violations. You know with certainity who are the real human right violators recruiting children for suicide fodder, brain washing children, giving them cyanide capsules, taken their sweet childhood forever trained them to become killing robots. be sincere UK ,don`t punish for us wiping out most deadliest terrorist organization in the world. Inventor of suicide bomber. World is far safer and better place without LTTE . terrorists.

JAMES

July 15, 2010  05:26 pm

Thanks, but no thanks! You, the imperial red heads, you have done enough damage! You, ungrateful whites, not only you brought my fore-fathers as slaves to work in the tea estates, which plundered from Sinhala people after killing thousands and thousands of Sinhala people. Then, when you left the country in the last century, you dumped our people who worked in your tea estates just like useless pieces of garbage. It was the Sinhala people who gave my community the citizenship and power of voting. Not only that they made Tamil a national language. Not even in India the language of Tamil is recognised, yet the people in this land gave us many rights and privileges. But you the British cowards, when you left the country, and even today, you have been poisoning the minds of Tamils, my community, by telling them to fight for a separate land. That is how you retaliated against this land and its people. Creation of the killers, LTTE, is one of the great jobs you did!!! Do you want to do more of such jobs? Just leave us alone. I am now living in this country happily and peacefully with my Sinhala friends and relatives. Do not spoil that again!

Pakyasothi

July 15, 2010  06:32 pm

PEOPLE AT CBB MUST READ COMMENTS MADE BY SRI LANKANS AND YOU ARE ALWAYS ON THEIR SUSPECTS LIST. BETTER TRY TO HELP SOUNTRIES WHO REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP BUT NOT TO SRI LANKANS.

Sinhala European

July 15, 2010  06:43 pm

Britain can help us by taking few more LTTE fighters and supporters to their spledid island. We wouldnt want Britain to worry about our internal matters. Britain should be bussy working out an exit program to run from Afganistan.

Anthony

July 15, 2010  06:50 pm

haven´t you done enough?

amda

July 15, 2010  07:55 pm

Yes we believe that by not putting your hands to our internal matters.

TSN

July 15, 2010  08:39 pm

Let it be remembered that it was the British who created this Tamil “minority” in Sri Lanka to destroy the native majority and remote control the Sinhalese using brutal violence, a tactic which serves them to this day as Tamils continue their role as their loyal lackeys. All their violence and barbarism against us is what they learnt from the West and were encouraged to do, and which the British and the rest of the West continue to insist they follow and support them for it. Tamils were imported into Sri Lanka from their actual homeland of Tamil Nadu in India (home to 60 million of them) by Europeans specifically by the British to be used as Military hit force to bolstere up British ranks, aid in the massacre & controlling the Sinhala population and function as a demographic bomb to “dilute up” the population to make subjugating Sinhalese easier (British “higher morals” at work). Tamils were rewarded with land and materials throughout the country, it is how for example the gigantic Eastern province (carved out on a map in such a manner to punish Senkagadala Sinhalas) became a “historic Tamil homeland” while the Tamil population in this “eastern province” is in fact concentrated in the town of Baticola (where Tamils were settled) while the rest of the province is sparsely populated. In the 1880s as Britain engineered systems to maintain its stranglehold on the Sinhalese, an aparthied was created where Tamils were given unprecedented power, wealth & “ownership” of the island as rich rewards for their long term loyal support which they never wanted to give up hence why we end up with a war. By far the most despicable and cruel asspect of British savaergy (other than use of food as weapon of war when they destroyed entire paddy fields, trees and livestock to make Sinhalese “sumbit”) was the use of Tamils as a demographic weapon with millions of additional Tamils brought in to “dilute up” to make things “more manageable” as Torrington & Brownrigg said on top of their on top of the Tamils initial role as a weapon for massacres and suppression of the native Sinhala people.

Raju

July 15, 2010  08:40 pm

The West has always been backers of Tamils, Tamil Chauvinism, terrorism and brutal violence against Sinhalese. Just look at history: Tamils were imported in to Sri Lanka by Europeans as indentured labourers, a military force to subjugate Sinhalese with and a tool to alter demographics to dilute up the then hostile anti-Western Sinhala population with its own proud civilisation, values and culture that was far purer with pro-Western Tamil lackeys so governing Sri Lanka would be easier. Least we forget the slaughters and conversions of Sinhala Buddhists since 1505. The worst being in 1818 and 1848 by the "holiest" of Human Rights crusaders: the British. Today under the guise of human rights they are doing what they did since 1815, using Tamils to fight and crush Sinhala Buddhists to ensure their dominance and economic and geopolitical interests. The bulk of the Tamils today in the Jaffna Peninsula (Yapnapura) were brought in by the Dutch to cultivate Tobacco. As already mentioned Tamils in the East were originally settled there by the British as a "reward" for killing Sinhalese in 1818 and 1848 hence why the gigantic Eastern province (made so when the British drew it on the map to punish Sinhalas and the Senkadagala Kingdom) has a Tamil "majority" which is amazingly enough concentrated in Baticalo town, not spread out. The bulk of Tamils in the Wanni jungle are in fact Tamils from the plantations moved their by the Norwegian NGO "Redd Barna" back in the 1960s to subvert the Sirimavo-Shastri Pact back originally designed to send Tamils in the central province back to their homeland of Tamil Nadu in India. Instead Norway intervened (no surprise there) gave them lunch packets to last 2 days, hired a train and sent them into the jungles of the Wanni in the middle of the night. Funnily enough they then became part of the so called "Sri Lankan Tamils" who we have just spent the last 30 years fighting, when not only are they NOT unique to Sri Lanka, but were treated like dirt by the racist chauvinistic Jaffna Tamils. Tamils who are to this day drunk on power, racism and supremacy their European masters had inoculated them with against Sinhala Buddhist people that they want to return to the British apartheid system of governance where Tamils were favoured, privileged and buttressed ahead of non-Tamils for simply being Tamil. The idea of being on an equal platform to people they viewed as inferior, as has been the case since 1948, is something they find hard to stomach. It is the loss of these privileges and power that Tamils called "discrimination" and started a war against Sinhalese with (dragging in the other relatively peaceful Tamils communities who they themselves systemically oppressed and discriminated on class, caste and language and then excused their behaviour to fellow Tamils by blaming the Sinhala boogie man as always). The last 30 years of Tamil induced brutal violence, and 60 years of Tamil induced political agitation and uncertainty were all in fact a manifestation of Tamil greed, hunger for power, desire for apartheid and suppression of non-Tamils human rights.

Raju

July 15, 2010  08:40 pm

Since there is a lot of talk by these white apes and their lackeys about “reconciliation” and “accountability” how about Britain apologise and pay reparations for the genocide and crimes against humanity Britain committed in Sri Lanka in 1818 and 1848 as well as the famines, cultural destruction and economic depravation and theft they perpetrated? Apologise for sponsoring, supporting, funding and assisting in brutal Tamil violence against the indigenous Sinhala Buddhist population who’s only crime is holding onto their country, civilisation, heritage and not conforming to the ways of the white man in the manner Tamils so willing did -becoming their coolies used for Military subjugation, plantation work and demographic alteration of the island to make it more suitable for the white mans “human rights and democracy”? If there ever is to be real justice, peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka it is when the Tamils, their leaderships both in and out of Sri Lanka, the Tamil diaspora, and the holier than thou West answer for the war crimes, human rights violations and crimes against humanity they have committed against the Sinhala people and other non-Tamil communities in Sri Lanka. That day is when real justice will be served. Of course the West and Tamils want Sri Lanka forever divided, at war, political unstable, socially broken and economically destitute.

Raju

July 15, 2010  08:40 pm

Is it a proposal 2 let British petroleum (BP) in SL? Just queries that’s all.

nsm

July 15, 2010  08:42 pm

LOL@ All the racist Colombian slaves gushing at their white master. Not really much of a surprise these people are the descendents of the traitors who sold our country and people out to Britain and other Europeans in exchange for crumb drops falling from their masters plate. Everything they “have” has been given to them by their white masters so naturally they are averse to nationalism or challenging the master they worship because from birth all they know is how to be slaves. Britain is the cause and origin of most if not all problems in the world. We owe them nothing and should never hesitative to put them in their place, below that of dogs as they are the worst human beings to roam the planet. Only slaves and fools will fall for the lies emanating from their forked tongues while willingly being blind to the truthful vile nature of these people. You trust them at your own peril (see what happened to the Native Americans). They behave in the exact same mass murdering, manipulative and destructive criminal manner they always have, only today they have refined their propaganda methods to levels greater than what they achieved 200-300 years ago (putting Goebbles to shame).

Raju

July 15, 2010  09:02 pm

What is this NEW LOVE.? somethings cooking under..............?

manuri

July 15, 2010  09:42 pm

There are many departments in a High Commission. Consulate, Trade and Foreign Diplomatic ect. CBB (Council for Business with Britain) is the trade organisation consisting of local business bodies. Few of them may be international companies that have registered in the UK. But please note most of them are Sri Lankan, like a tea or rubber company that is trying to sell their goods to UK. This has no political agenda. Even the trade or consulate section has no involvement in foreign policies. When we target beyond the range and hit these departments, it will only create unnecessary consequences. Traders and Travellers will all suffer. As a responsible journalist we can only ask you to think twice and take your complains to the correct source.

Isuru Wijeratne (Lankians)

July 16, 2010  12:16 am

"DIYA YATA KEUM DEIYO DANI" KIWWALU.

Tikiribandara

July 16, 2010  03:13 am

Dear Mr Pakyasothi,you´ve exposed a true nature of white Masters & their unjustifiable behaviour in the past.Actually when we hear such a fact from you is also a good example for the people who worship to white colonists! I´m very proud of your comment and i always admire your political views that make unity among ourselves,and i wish we had more pepole like.

Abeywardene

July 16, 2010  06:49 am

There is saying action speak louder than words, but so far Uk HAS SHOWEN negative attitude towards SRI LANKA. However, PLEASE DROP YOUR DOUBLE ACT THEN YOU WILL BECOME BEST FRIENDS OF OURS.

ab

July 16, 2010  07:25 am

Sinhala European, yeah you are absolutely right in what you are saying!! Them scum Brits now paupers themselves should invest whatever the pittance they are now left on slaves that are having an identity crisis like your self, because refugee scum like like yourself will gladly help their white masters in every way imaginable even if that happens to be toppling locally popular non western worshiping governments and helping your masters rob from other countries. This is merely because when you do that they will allow you to remain as ghetto living refugees in their country forever.

Charitha

July 16, 2010  11:27 am

This reminds me of Our Sinhala Idiom "Kappanna Bari Ata Sibeema"

Dinadxb

July 17, 2010  11:49 am

Politicians in Brittain act like DON.. Acting High Commissioner like SYMONDS......... Can we believe & trust these DON SYMONDS ???????????????????

Dagobert