Prince Charles tours Sri Lanka
2005-02-28 08:19
Batticaloa, Sri Lanka - Britain's Prince Charles sought to console Sri Lankan tsunami survivors on Monday during a brief tour of the island's devastated eastern coast, expressing his dismay over the extent of the damage and loss of lives in this former British colony.
After arriving by helicopter in the Batticaloa region, the prince met survivors and Red Cross volunteers. He told them he was "terribly upset" by the devastation from the December 26 tsunami, which killed more than 31 000 people on the island and left more a million homeless.
Charles asked Tamil fisherman Vellupillai Sellaiya if he had received any help in recovering his business. Watched by Sri Lankan officials accompanying Charles, Sellaiya told him not yet, but that the government had promised to help.
The government has been accused of being slow in the delivery of aid to the northeast, where most of Sri Lanka's 3.2 million minority Tamils live. The government has denied the charge.
Later, the prince visited a damaged Hindu temple, where he spoke with a priest. He was given a garland and painted with a round, orange mark on his forehead, part of Hindu tradition to bless temple visitors. He also met with 10 Red Cross volunteers.
"It's good to see Prince Charles making the extra effort to go to the more remote areas," said David Crawford, head of the British aid group Oxfam in Sri Lanka. "Anything that shows the people here that they haven't been forgotten is very welcome."
The prince arrived at Colombo's international airport after dawn on Monday, and about 30 minutes later boarded a Sri Lankan air force helicopter for Batticaloa, where he landed at an abandoned soccer stadium. There was heavy military presence in the area.
Parts of Batticaloa are controlled by Tamil Tiger rebels, but Prince Charles had no plans to meet with the guerrillas, who have been banned as a terrorist organization in Britain since 2001. Britain plays no direct role in Sri Lanka's peace process, but supports mediation efforts by Norway.
Last week, the Sri Lankan government and the Tigers marked the three years since they signed a Norwegian-brokered cease-fire that halted fighting and restored a degree of normalcy to the island.
Charles also was scheduled to meet with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and British diplomatic staff before departing later Monday for Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
The visit was the prince's first to Sri Lanka since 1998, when he attended celebrations to mark the country's 50 years of independence. This island off the southeastern coast of India became independent in 1948 after 152 years of British colonial rule, during which it was known as Ceylon.
- AP