Sir Lanka-profits of peace
938
0:00 The downtown financial district of a modern city. New buildings are springing up. The feel good factor is high and the market has been hitting all-time highs.
0:09 The 110 million dollar World Trade Centre is at the heart of the business district.
0:14 It comes complete with twin towers which rise 39 stories. Such a business complex wouldnt be out of place in Singapore or Tokyo. But only days after it opened, the centre came under attack by suicide bombers, who killed 18 people. It may not look it now, but 5 years ago this was on the frontline of Sri Lankas bloody civil war.
0:36 Confidence in the Colombo Stock Exchange was shaken badly by the World Trade Centre bombing and last year the share index plunged to a life low when the only international airport was attacked. But the market has been climbing steadily since a ceasefire was agreed in February.
0:52 The Chairman of the Stock Exchange believes Sri Lanka has the potential to be south Asias Singapore if the truce with the Tamil Tiger rebels leads to a lasting peace.
1:02 AJIT GUNEWARDENA, CHAIRMAN COLOMBO STOCK EXCHANGE
This is something that we have to work towards. We are a small nation, just 18-19 million people. In terms of size we are very small. But we are perfectly located to be a centre, a service centre, a centre of excellence for the huge catchment area of south Asia. This is something we have got to work towards. Without peace theres no way that we can attract the kind of infrastructure and expertise to do this. So I certainly think that this is achievable.
1:32 But theres a lot to do. Two decades of war has left much of the country in ruins especially Tamil areas.
1:39 AJIT GUNEWARDENA, CHAIRMAN COLOMBO STOCK EXCHANGE
I wouldnt particularly say its only the north and east. The north and the east certainly has been devastated with the 20 years of war and requires considerable amounts of support and infrastructure development. But the rest of the country has suffered because the resources that were available for investment and infrastructure development had been channelled towards the war.
2:02 Driving through Chavakachcheri, the second largest town in the Jaffna peninsula in the north of Sri Lanka, every building shows signs of damage. The formerly bustling market town is now reduced to a virtual ghost town. Chavakachcheri and its surrounds were once home to 20,000 but most fled as it changed hands several times during intense fighting between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tigers.
2:25 But the ceasefire and then the reopening in April of the only highway leading to the south has seen refugees start to return home. The road is a crucial lifeline for the rebuilding effort.
2:42 ISABELLE BARRAS, HEAD OF DELEGATION, ICRC, SRI LANKA
What we could see is a lot of destruction after so many years of conflict, sometimes a very heavy one which of course opens the door for major reconstruction and rehabilitation challenges.
3:00 The Sri Lanka Development forum was convened in Colombo in June. Under the gaze of the media aid donors met government ministers to discuss Sri Lankas renewal. Officials believe the peace process will generate its own momentum.
3:15 K.N. CHOKSY, SRI LANKAN FINANCE MINISTER
If the people in the conflict effected areas could see the benefits of peace then the government will have the support of the people living in these areas, who will whose attitude then will change from one of war to one of peace and development.
3:45 Last years Tamil Tiger attack on Sri Lankas main airport devastated the economy. Three brand-new Airbus airliners belonging to the state flag carrier were destroyed and another three were badly damaged. In total the destruction is put at around a billion dollars.
But the long term economic impact is far greater. For the first time foreign tourists had become directly caught up in the fighting. None was killed but it was enough to scare off all but the boldest.
4:14 PADDY WITHANA, CHAIRMAN SRI LANKA TOURISM
If you take the figures immediately after the bomb that went on at the airport B.I.A.(Bandaranaike International Airport) the tourist arrivals dropped about 60 per cent compared with the same period. But today we look that gap as has come down to where 25 per cent. So I think we see that there is, though not the same as previous, we see the arrivals more people are going to come to Sri Lanka
4:42 Airport security was reviewed and tightened, helping to restore the confidence of tourists. But the recent tensions between India and Pakistan and the events of September the 11th havent helped Sri Lankas hard pressed tourist industry.
4:57 5 star hotels like the Mount Lavinia are bargains by western standards. But many rooms lie empty.
5:03 The poolside terrace of this former colonial mansion - which was once the home of the British governor - is half deserted.
5:10 Its difficult to persuade people to dip their toes back into the water after tourists were forced to run for their lives as they touched down for what was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime.
5.22 Though foreigners may be sceptical about the long term outlook a real mood of optimism is sweeping Sri Lankans from all communities.
5:30 DR KUMAR RUPESINGHE, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER & CONFLICT RESOLUTION EXPERT, AUTHOR OF CIVIL WAR AND CIVIL PEACE, AN INTRODUCTION TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION
For the first time the people are experiencing no bombs are going off. In the city there are no barricades. The fear has gone away and recently we had Vesak Buddhist celebration - when millions of people were thronging in the streets day and night for the first time. So as far as the people are concerned theres free movement between the south and the north. The people in the north are coming and seeing the abundance of goods in the south. Tourist are flocking Sri Lankan tourist - to thee eastern coast. All the hotels are booked. So theres a huge, huge overwhelming psychological lift up of the people.
6:20 The peace dividend is already apparent in Sri Lankas capital, Colombo just a few months after the Government and Tamil Tigers jointly declared an indefinite ceasefire.
6:31 The streets of Colombo are bustling, the shops are busy in sharp contrast with the war ravaged territory under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The capital has an air of confidence and burgeoning prosperity. At last these people believe they have a future without war and are looking forward to reaping the economic rewards of peace and stability. Sri Lankans value education and literacy rates of around 90 per cent are among the highest in Asia and English is spoken almost everywhere.
7:03 In a recent speech the US ambassador said that if all communities pull together Sri Lanka could challenge Singapore as an economic power house.
7:11 Colombos docks play a key role in Sri Lankas economy and are seen as vital to future development. The island is situated just to the north of major shipping lanes linking the oil rich Gulf States of the Middle East to Indonesia, Malaysia and beyond. Sri Lanka is also a major exporter. But last year for the first time the economy shrank. Now the Government is going all out for growth.
7:37 CHARITHA RATWATTE, SECRETARY, SRI LANKAN FINANCE AND PLANNING MINISTRY
We want to reach 8 per cent. and to reach 8 per cent weve got to go step by step to come out of negative to zero and then pick it up from there. And we feel that some of the things weve already done weve taken rather tough decisions on the unities and the pricing, on the subsidies, which are painful but we feel cannot get out of this mess that we are in without taking those tough decisions. Some of them have collected over 20-30 years. We have been to take the necessary decision at the right time and we feel we have run out of soft options. So we have to be honest with our people and communicate what we have to do.
8:12 The Butterfly zip company and small businesses like it are the backbone of Sri Lankas biggest export industry. For over a decade the garment industry has been the leading foreign exchange earner, replacing tea which had been the traditional main export product.
8:32 Production methods may be basic, but these women make 2-thousand zips a day. Like the whole sector, they are fast and flexible - one of the reasons the industry has prospered despite the war.
8:43 With the truce holding and the economy picking up its an auspicious time for a wedding. Thanenthiran and his bride Lokeni began married life in style. Young Sri Lankan couples like the Balasubramaniums have the brightest prospects for a generation as the peace process gathers pace and starts to deliver concrete results.
9:06 But peace could founder unless all the people of this divided island gain from the economic benefits that everyone now expects.
9:13 Too much is at stake for the two sides to gamble on the best chance of peace that Sri Lanka has had since the civil war broke out almost twenty years ago.
9:24 If the new opportunities arent shared equally, peace could all too easily slip away.
9:32 ENDS
938
0:00 The downtown financial district of a modern city. New buildings are springing up. The feel good factor is high and the market has been hitting all-time highs.
0:09 The 110 million dollar World Trade Centre is at the heart of the business district.
0:14 It comes complete with twin towers which rise 39 stories. Such a business complex wouldnt be out of place in Singapore or Tokyo. But only days after it opened, the centre came under attack by suicide bombers, who killed 18 people. It may not look it now, but 5 years ago this was on the frontline of Sri Lankas bloody civil war.
0:36 Confidence in the Colombo Stock Exchange was shaken badly by the World Trade Centre bombing and last year the share index plunged to a life low when the only international airport was attacked. But the market has been climbing steadily since a ceasefire was agreed in February.
0:52 The Chairman of the Stock Exchange believes Sri Lanka has the potential to be south Asias Singapore if the truce with the Tamil Tiger rebels leads to a lasting peace.
1:02 AJIT GUNEWARDENA, CHAIRMAN COLOMBO STOCK EXCHANGE
This is something that we have to work towards. We are a small nation, just 18-19 million people. In terms of size we are very small. But we are perfectly located to be a centre, a service centre, a centre of excellence for the huge catchment area of south Asia. This is something we have got to work towards. Without peace theres no way that we can attract the kind of infrastructure and expertise to do this. So I certainly think that this is achievable.
1:32 But theres a lot to do. Two decades of war has left much of the country in ruins especially Tamil areas.
1:39 AJIT GUNEWARDENA, CHAIRMAN COLOMBO STOCK EXCHANGE
I wouldnt particularly say its only the north and east. The north and the east certainly has been devastated with the 20 years of war and requires considerable amounts of support and infrastructure development. But the rest of the country has suffered because the resources that were available for investment and infrastructure development had been channelled towards the war.
2:02 Driving through Chavakachcheri, the second largest town in the Jaffna peninsula in the north of Sri Lanka, every building shows signs of damage. The formerly bustling market town is now reduced to a virtual ghost town. Chavakachcheri and its surrounds were once home to 20,000 but most fled as it changed hands several times during intense fighting between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tigers.
2:25 But the ceasefire and then the reopening in April of the only highway leading to the south has seen refugees start to return home. The road is a crucial lifeline for the rebuilding effort.
2:42 ISABELLE BARRAS, HEAD OF DELEGATION, ICRC, SRI LANKA
What we could see is a lot of destruction after so many years of conflict, sometimes a very heavy one which of course opens the door for major reconstruction and rehabilitation challenges.
3:00 The Sri Lanka Development forum was convened in Colombo in June. Under the gaze of the media aid donors met government ministers to discuss Sri Lankas renewal. Officials believe the peace process will generate its own momentum.
3:15 K.N. CHOKSY, SRI LANKAN FINANCE MINISTER
If the people in the conflict effected areas could see the benefits of peace then the government will have the support of the people living in these areas, who will whose attitude then will change from one of war to one of peace and development.
3:45 Last years Tamil Tiger attack on Sri Lankas main airport devastated the economy. Three brand-new Airbus airliners belonging to the state flag carrier were destroyed and another three were badly damaged. In total the destruction is put at around a billion dollars.
But the long term economic impact is far greater. For the first time foreign tourists had become directly caught up in the fighting. None was killed but it was enough to scare off all but the boldest.
4:14 PADDY WITHANA, CHAIRMAN SRI LANKA TOURISM
If you take the figures immediately after the bomb that went on at the airport B.I.A.(Bandaranaike International Airport) the tourist arrivals dropped about 60 per cent compared with the same period. But today we look that gap as has come down to where 25 per cent. So I think we see that there is, though not the same as previous, we see the arrivals more people are going to come to Sri Lanka
4:42 Airport security was reviewed and tightened, helping to restore the confidence of tourists. But the recent tensions between India and Pakistan and the events of September the 11th havent helped Sri Lankas hard pressed tourist industry.
4:57 5 star hotels like the Mount Lavinia are bargains by western standards. But many rooms lie empty.
5:03 The poolside terrace of this former colonial mansion - which was once the home of the British governor - is half deserted.
5:10 Its difficult to persuade people to dip their toes back into the water after tourists were forced to run for their lives as they touched down for what was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime.
5.22 Though foreigners may be sceptical about the long term outlook a real mood of optimism is sweeping Sri Lankans from all communities.
5:30 DR KUMAR RUPESINGHE, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER & CONFLICT RESOLUTION EXPERT, AUTHOR OF CIVIL WAR AND CIVIL PEACE, AN INTRODUCTION TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION
For the first time the people are experiencing no bombs are going off. In the city there are no barricades. The fear has gone away and recently we had Vesak Buddhist celebration - when millions of people were thronging in the streets day and night for the first time. So as far as the people are concerned theres free movement between the south and the north. The people in the north are coming and seeing the abundance of goods in the south. Tourist are flocking Sri Lankan tourist - to thee eastern coast. All the hotels are booked. So theres a huge, huge overwhelming psychological lift up of the people.
6:20 The peace dividend is already apparent in Sri Lankas capital, Colombo just a few months after the Government and Tamil Tigers jointly declared an indefinite ceasefire.
6:31 The streets of Colombo are bustling, the shops are busy in sharp contrast with the war ravaged territory under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The capital has an air of confidence and burgeoning prosperity. At last these people believe they have a future without war and are looking forward to reaping the economic rewards of peace and stability. Sri Lankans value education and literacy rates of around 90 per cent are among the highest in Asia and English is spoken almost everywhere.
7:03 In a recent speech the US ambassador said that if all communities pull together Sri Lanka could challenge Singapore as an economic power house.
7:11 Colombos docks play a key role in Sri Lankas economy and are seen as vital to future development. The island is situated just to the north of major shipping lanes linking the oil rich Gulf States of the Middle East to Indonesia, Malaysia and beyond. Sri Lanka is also a major exporter. But last year for the first time the economy shrank. Now the Government is going all out for growth.
7:37 CHARITHA RATWATTE, SECRETARY, SRI LANKAN FINANCE AND PLANNING MINISTRY
We want to reach 8 per cent. and to reach 8 per cent weve got to go step by step to come out of negative to zero and then pick it up from there. And we feel that some of the things weve already done weve taken rather tough decisions on the unities and the pricing, on the subsidies, which are painful but we feel cannot get out of this mess that we are in without taking those tough decisions. Some of them have collected over 20-30 years. We have been to take the necessary decision at the right time and we feel we have run out of soft options. So we have to be honest with our people and communicate what we have to do.
8:12 The Butterfly zip company and small businesses like it are the backbone of Sri Lankas biggest export industry. For over a decade the garment industry has been the leading foreign exchange earner, replacing tea which had been the traditional main export product.
8:32 Production methods may be basic, but these women make 2-thousand zips a day. Like the whole sector, they are fast and flexible - one of the reasons the industry has prospered despite the war.
8:43 With the truce holding and the economy picking up its an auspicious time for a wedding. Thanenthiran and his bride Lokeni began married life in style. Young Sri Lankan couples like the Balasubramaniums have the brightest prospects for a generation as the peace process gathers pace and starts to deliver concrete results.
9:06 But peace could founder unless all the people of this divided island gain from the economic benefits that everyone now expects.
9:13 Too much is at stake for the two sides to gamble on the best chance of peace that Sri Lanka has had since the civil war broke out almost twenty years ago.
9:24 If the new opportunities arent shared equally, peace could all too easily slip away.
9:32 ENDS