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“Peace with security can only come through a political process,” said the British High Commissioner, Linda Duffield, addressing the business community at the Hotel Lanka Oberoi, in Colombo, November 3. She however expressed Britain’s strong condemnation of terrorism in every form prevalent in every country. “A settlement which is fair and just, which ensures the rights and aspirations of all communities and which respects the territorial integrity of the country. It will be the only means which will enable Sri Lanka with the stability it needs to rebuild its economies and create opportunities for employment and prosperity for all in Sri Lanka,” Duffield said. The full text of the speech is as follows: “This has not been an easy year for the hotel and catering industry in Sri Lanka or for tourism in general. The devastating attack at Katunayake struck your industry harder than any other. Today the world is reeling from another terrorist attack, one on an unprecedented scale. As we try to come to terms with the loss of thousands of lives in the United States we are, all of us, feeling the economic consequences too. The aviation and tourism sectors have been particularly hard hit. That is true of the companies in the US, the UK, Europe, Asia and around the world. We in Britain stand shoulder to shoulder with you, understanding the economic hardships you are facing and supporting your efforts to implement a sustained recovery plan for the hotel and catering industry. Here in Sri Lanka the business community recently launched the ‘Sri Lanka First’ campaign to build grass roots support for a lasting peace settlement. It is clear that without a fresh and determined effort to resolve this long standing conflict your businesses, and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people who depend on you, will always be vulnerable to terrorist activity. No industry is immune; no citizen is untouched by conflict. The desire for peace, the yearning for a just settlement, is on everyone’s lips and in the hearts of the people of all faiths. The business community has an important part to play in building a firm consensus for peace across all communities and all political divides. One of the biggest challenges however is to find a way to take the conflict out of party politics and encourage politicians of all parties to unite behind the country’s most burning national issue. The British government condemns terrorism in every form and in every country. There is no distinction between one terrorist and another. We will therefore do what we can to counter the terrorist threat to global peace, security and stability wherever that occurs. At the same time we fully support your government’s commitment to a negotiated settlement of the conflict in Sri Lanka as the best means of bringing a lasting peace to this beautiful island. A settlement which is fair and just, which ensures the rights and aspirations of all communities and which respects the territorial integrity of the country. Only this can provide Sri Lanka with the stability it needs to rebuild its economy and create opportunities for employment and prosperity for all in Sri Lanka. And for those who have chosen the path of violence as a means of achieving their goals, I would remind them that world opinion is firmly against them. There can be no justification for terrorism. They too must realise that peace with security can only come through a political process.”
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