The academic and professional community in Britain has an important role to play in leading opinion formation with regard to the current political and economic situation in Sri Lanka, a country bound by intimate ties with Britain in terms of history and culture, Prof.

G. L. Peiris, Minister of Export Development and International Trade, told the leaders of British academia in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

He was received by Sir Colin Lucas, Warden of the Rhodes Trust at Oxford and former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Sir Colin, under the direction of the Rhodes Trustees, administers the system of Rhodes Scholarships which enable talented scholars from 32 countries spread over five continents, to have exposure to the unique academic environment of Oxford University, in keeping with the Last Will of Sir Cecil Rhodes.

Sir Colin Lucas, welcoming Prof. Peiris, recalled the Minister’s tenure of the Rhodes Scholarship for Sri Lanka during the period when Bill Clinton held a Rhodes Scholarship for the United States.

Minister Peiris had a comprehensive discussion with Professor A. M. Honore, Queen’s Counsel, Emeritus Professor of Law in the University of Oxford and Warden of All Souls College at a time when Prof. Peiris was elected to a Distinguished Visiting Fellowship at All Souls College in the University of Oxford.

He similarly briefed Prof. Barry Rider, Professorial Fellow of Jesus College, University of Cambridge, who visited Sri Lanka four months ago on an invitation extended by Prof. Peiris to call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and to deliver lectures to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Association of Professional Bankers of Sri Lanka. Prof. Peiris was a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of Christ’s College, Cambridge and Smuts Visiting Fellow in Commonwealth Studies in the University of Cambridge.

At these discussions, Minister Peiris traced the history of attempts to arrive at a political solution in negotiations with the LTTE, and explained how the intransigence and lack of purpose shown by the LTTE served to thwart these attempts. He described in detail the circumstances in which military action was started by the Government of Sri Lanka to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers in the Eastern Province whose access to water for purposes of irrigation was cut off by the LTTE.

He dealt with the immense sacrifices made by the public of the country and, in particular, the armed forces to secure a victory against terrorism which had been considered virtually impossible by all commentators in unison.

He emphasised the far-reaching implications of this victory not only for peace and stability in Sri Lanka but for all governments and nations which value freedom from oppression and tyranny.

The international community has a clear duty to acknowledge Sri Lanka’s achievement not as a mere gesture but to give that recognition practical expression by participating vigorously in the economic development of Sri Lanka, in the post-conflict phase when realisation of the country’s full potential is possible, Prof. Peiris said. He spelt out specifically a variety of ways in which Britain could make a substantial contribution to trade, investment and tourism in Sri Lanka.

He pointed out that the persistence shown by a few countries in introducing impediments of various kinds which weaken Sri Lanka and place in jeopardy her hard won gains, can benefit no one except those wishing to see the resurgence of terrorism in Sri Lanka and other vulnerable regions.

He stressed the crucial duty of the international community to exercise continuous vigilance to ensure that large resources, which are still available to the LTTE globally, are not utilised to the detriment of Sri Lanka’s tranquility and wellbeing.

Irresponsible allegations in some international fora about the commission of war crimes – for which there is not the most slender legal or moral basis – can achieve no result other than nurturing and strengthening terrorism, he observed.