Tarnishing Sri Lanka's image:

Traitors bared

Chaminda PERERA

President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunga yesterday showed a map depicting organisations and groups in the world that were involved in tarnishing Sri Lanka's image at the height of the humanitarian operation. This survey has been carried out by a research group. "There are a number of organizations in the world which are still involved in tarnishing the reputation of our Motherland by publishing various misleading news", he said.

There are some media organisations which publish news items and media reports that are detrimental to the country's image. Several NGOs in Sri Lanka were also involved in this campaign against the country, the President's Secretary said.

Washington Post, Guardian, Times magazine, Channel 04 are among the leading media organizations that were involved in this canard, he stressed. He said their role has made a detrimental impact on the attitude of the world towards Sri Lanka. "A Foreign Ministry could not meet such an enormous challenge alone", he said.

Weeratunga, a senior officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service said the Government has fulfilled more than half of what it promised to the people before the last Presidential election.

"The Government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa has succeeded in fulfilling more than 475 out of the 611 pledges outlined in the Mahinda Chinthana policy frame work, Weeratunga said.