Seminar on fight against terrorism in Colombo

(May 26, 2011) An international seminar on the fight against terrorism will be held in Colombo from 31 May to 2 June. It is being organised by the government and the local military. Its goal is to share the experiences gained in the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in almost 30 years of ethnic conflict. General Jagath Jayasuriya made the announcement on Monday at a press conference at the Army headquarters. The three-day event will be held at the Colombo Galadari Hotel. About 300 delegates, including military officials, scholars and experts are expected to attend. Sri Lanka sent invitations to 54 countries, and 42 have so far confirmed their participation. At the press conference, Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya outlined some of the topics that will be discussed. They include global terrorism, reconciliation, terrorist trends, and threats to national and international security, resettlement and nation-building. There will be an exhibition to show the technological innovations and defence equipment produced by the Research and Development branch of the Defence Ministry. The seminar should cost around 45 million rupees (US$ 400,000).