The press briefing summoned by Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights in the company of representatives of donor countries indicates the need that has arisen for the government to give assurance to the international community that the approach of the government towards the NGO’s is healthy.

The Minister Samarasinghe elaborated on the assistance rendered by the NGO’s in today’s context in Sri Lanka.

He conceded that the NGO’s face problems in functioning. He warned that that NGO’s found to be at fault will not be allowed get away with it exercising their privileges.

He added that the government was planning to prepare a code of conduct for NGOs.

All the representatives of the donor countries stressed the fact that their countries grant a special place to the NGOs for the services rendered by them.

In the context of war and political violence, the NGOs perform great service to the people undergoing human suffering and human tragedy in Sri Lanka.

There have been serious allegations and propaganda against NGO’s since the time peace efforts commenced. Certain Sinhala and English media of the south and the State media give a lot of publicity to such propaganda.

If there is any truth in the assertion by the Minister Samarasinghe that the government is not in any way acting against the NGOs, then he must stop the State media from carrying on any unhealthy propaganda against the NGOs.

It is our view that the basis of such allegations against the NGOs is that the communal forces want to ensure that no new peace efforts are undertaken.

The anti-NGO propaganda is only a part of that agenda by such forces!

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