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QARTAR TELLS SRI LANKA THAT THE COUNTRY COULD MAKE IT REALLY DIFFICULT TO SEND REMITTANCES TO LTTE

By Walter Jayawardhana

Qatar told Sri Lanka that if Sri Lanka showed specific instances it could impose severe restrictions to stop remittances going to Sri Lanka’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) from some expatriate Tamil workers working in the oil rich nation.

Qartar was responding to the Sri Lankan compalint that some Tamil Expatriate workers were forced to contribute to the terrorist activities of the LTTE.

Sri Lanka has requested Qatar to ban the activities of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the country and curb remittances to the Tamil separatist organisation.

The appeal was made by visiting Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hussein A Bhaila when he met the Assistant Foreign Minister Saif Muqaddam al-Buainin.

Bhaila told al-Buainin that LTTE operatives were forcibly collecting money from fellow Tamils in Qatar and those funds were being remitted to militant activities back home.

Buainin told his visitor that if specific cases were reported to the government, “appropriate action” would be taken.

Qatar has a “very strong” monitoring system of remittances, the Assistant Foreign Minister informed the Sri Lanka delegation, the Gulf Times reported..

When told that mere banning in Qatar would not help since LTTE activities were being done covertly, the deputy minister said “a ban would put moral pressure” on the organisation.

Bhaila also had talks with the director of Asia-Africa desk at the Foreign Ministry, Abdulrahman Khulaifi, and discussed labour problems, including non-payment or delays of wages and repatriation.
The Qatari official raised the issue of insubordination and violence by some Sri Lankan expatriates. Bhaila said his country never condoned violence since there were legal recourses available.

He said his government always urged Sri Lankans to respect the law of the land. “We expect our citizens to behave in an exemplary way, especially in Qatar”, which had a good number of skilled, semi-skilled and professional Sri Lankans working.

He said manpower agencies found to be exporting people who had no intention to work would be punished. “We have to take strong measures”.

They were creating a loss not only to companies but affected the image of the country as well, he said.

Action would be taken against workers who absconded from work or returned to the country before the expiry of the contract since it affected the job prospects of fellow Sri Lankans, he added.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan delegation, accompanied by Ambassador S B Atugoda, has called on the chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, and reviewed trade co-operation.

They discussed establishment of a joint council of businessmen from both the countries in order to strengthen trade exchange, the Gulf News further reported.

Bhaila invited Qatari businessmen to visit his country to see the opportunities for investment there as well as the incentives given by the state.

The visiting minister told Sheikh Jassim that there was a good investment potential in the real estate sector too.

The chairman asked the delegates to tell members of the local Sri Lankan Business Council to contact the chamber for better co-operation and exchange of information.

The ambassador said a Sri Lankan business delegation liked to visit Qatar and meet their counterparts to boost co-operation between private sectors of the two countries.

Bhaila, who is on a regional tour, is accompanied by additional secretary in the foreign ministry C F Chinniah, general manager of Sri Lankan Bureau of Foreign Employment H B Atugoda, financial director at the foreign ministry W A Sarathkumara and Bhaila’s private secretary Asil Bhaila.

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