NPM attack NGOs, monk and LTTE
The National Patriotic Movement (NPM) say that they are not against the World Bank (WB).
Calling the Country Director of the WB Peter Harrold to leave the country, Co Chair Ven. Elle Gunawansa said that the NPM will intensify its battle against the director and requested the WB take swift action against Harrold. The NPM accuses the WB country director of identifying the Tamil Tiger controlled territory of Sri Lanka as an "unofficial state" which the WB denies. Addressing the press in Colombo on Tuesday the NPM claimed that the number of Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) operating in Sri Lanka has risen from 400 to 4000 in post Tsunami period. Calling for an investigation on tsunami aid received by NGO's, the NPM accused that these NGO's pose a threat to Sri Lanka The NPM warned that Sri Lanka's sovereignty is at stake. Wimal Weerawansa, a co president of the movement naming leading NGO activists as the leaders of "Sri lankan NGO mafia" said, "some of them help LTTE directly or indirectly". The ruling coalition parliamentarian said that these NGO leaders are similar to Buddhist prelates and catholic Bishops. "Part of their campaign is to depict Sri Lanka as an inefficient country which could not deliver the Tsunami Aid properly" added Weerawansa. "In Trincomalee, an unheard of monk, is staging a fast asking for more Tsunami aid. Tamilselvan has embarked on a propaganda campaign in Europe claiming that Sri Lanka is not delivering relief fairly and efficiently. NGO leaders do the same" said the government member of parliament. Ven. Handungamuwe Nandarathana, chief incumbent of Sri Pabbatharama Rajamaha Vihare who initiated a sit down protest from the weekend in Trincomalee was joined today by 10 others. The monk's demand for proper distribution of tsunami relief was the objective of Weerawansa's criticism.