Sri Lanka Support Group

There will be a major a Seminar organised by the Sri Lanka Support Group on Sri Lanka (“Sri Lanka After the War – Building of  a New Nation where all its Citizens will live in Peace, Dignity and Prosperity”), which is to be held on Thursday 29 October 2009 at the Parliament House, Canberra, Mural Hall, from 9.15 am to 4 pm.

A series of Sri Lankan experts will speak about different topics at the Seminar.  The seminar is primarily targeted at addressing the issues of how Sri Lanka should move forward in light of its successful defeat of the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), in order to achieve a peaceful, harmonious and inclusive ‘new’ Sri Lanka, for all its citizens.

The speakers (about 8) will be experts in their respective fields. The High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Australia, plus other Sri Lankan experts will address the distinguished audience. The keynote speaker will be Dr James Jupp, Director of the Centre for Immigration and Multicultural Studies, Research School of  Social Sciences at the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra and an expert on Sri Lanka. Australian Government parliamentarians, Don Randall MP, and Steven Hutchins, Senator, will also address the Seminar.

The Seminar will prominently address issues such as the situation of the Internally Displaced persons (IDPs), false allegations of human rights violations made against Sri Lanka by various Western Governments, NGOs and Human Rights Organizations, and Sri Lankan asylum seekers to Australia by boat; but, it is primarily focused on the future and way forward for Sri Lanka. The final hours (1 pm to 4 pm) have been allocated for a questions and answers session with the speakers of the Seminar and a selected expert panel, plus the moderator.

The seminar guests (the audience) will primarily consist of the Federal and State/Territory parliamentarians, human rights groups, INGOs who have connections with Sri Lanka, journalists who have shown interest in Sri Lanka and Australian government officials who have work associations with Sri Lanka.

A large number of Australian federal parliamentarians (Ministers/MPs and Senators) have already indicated their attendance for the Seminar. It is anticipated that this number will be somewhere in the vicinity of 50. There will be lots of other Australian distinguished guests at the Seminar  as well.

 Seminar proceedings will be telecast on Sri Lankan media, especially on Derana TV. Video proceedings of the seminar will be posted on U- Tube; the exact U- Tube link is to be provided  after the Seminar.

 It is expected that the Seminar will help to quell the adverse propaganda that is currently being made against Sri Lanka by Western  nations, media, human rights organisations and vested interest groups etc. It is expected that the Australian media will exclusively cover the Seminar proceedings.

 Seminar proceedings including Seminar speeches  will also be posted on the internet, particulars are to be provided in  due course.

SRI LANKA AFTER THE WAR -

BUILDING OF A NEW NATION WHERE ALL ITS CITIZENS

WILL LIVE IN PEACE, DIGNITY AND PROSPERITY

Venue – Parliament House, Canberra (Mural Hall)
Date – Thursday, 29 October 2009 (9.15 am to 4 pm)

The Seminar is organised by Sri Lanka Support Group (Chanaka Bandarage - 0423 779 120, srilankasupportgroup@bigpond.com)