The ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka cannot be settled only by means of war there should also be a merging of cultures between communities. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs will establish these ties to promote harmony within the population, Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane told a media conference in Sigiriya, on Saturday (24).

He said his ministry planned to establish museums in the North and East in which the communities could represent their cultural heritage.

Abeywardane, visiting the Sigiriya museum which is under construction at a cost of Rs. 480million, said the ministry would not only preserve the cultural heritage of the area but also provide means of living for the people.

It will provide them with the opportunity of selling their products – from souvenirs to vegetables. "Tourists would not just climb the rock in three hours and be on their way, instead they would be given further reason to stay on.

"The project was funded by the Japanese government while the architecture, workforce, and technology were ours," he said. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has spent Rs.5,000 million within the last three years for developing culture and heritage of the island," Abeywardane said.

The Sigiri Museum would be officially opened in March, he said.