Minister George Yeo visited Jaffna on 17 Oct 2009 which coincided with Deepavali, or Festival of Lights. He also visited Mannar and Trincomalee.
In Jaffna, Minister Yeo stopped by the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, a prominent Hindu temple in Sri Lanka and an icon in Jaffna. He then visited an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Kopay, Jaffna, to witness first-hand the living conditions and the complex rehabilitation process. At the IDP Camp, Minister handed over 5000 water purification tablets which would help purify drinking water for the IDPs. Minister also visited the historic Jaffna Library and announced the contribution of 500 books from the National Library. At the handover ceremony, Minister stated that Singapore wished to forge links with the Jaffna Library.
In Mannar, Minister observed the ongoing de-mining process in the area and was briefed about the progress and difficulties in clearing the land areas for resettlement. He was also briefed on the repair and restoration of the irrigation system. Mannar was a traditional rice bowl in the north.
Minister then visited Trincomalee, a port city in the east coast of Sri Lanka, to get a deeper perspective of its development activities. Apart from meeting the Governor, Minister also visited the Prima Flour Mill. Prima is the largest Singapore-based investor in Sri Lanka and is the first Singapore company to have invested in the country more than 30 years ago. During the visit, Prima expressed confidence in Sri Lanka's business potential.
During his meetings with the Sri Lankan leaders in the various districts, Minister expressed the hope that once peace is entrenched and trust between the communities restored, there will be opportunities for tourism, education and foreign direct investment. Minister also conveyed to them that the successful Sri Lankan Singaporean diaspora stands ready to help Sri Lanka in its rehabilitation efforts.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
18 OCTOBER 2009