Ambassador Boucher visits Jaffna

Ambassador Boucher visits Jaffna

Wednesday, 09 May 2007, 10:15
Ambassador Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and
Central Affairs, accompanied by US Ambassador in Colombo Mr.Robert O'
Blake, arrived in Palaali in Jaffna district around 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday by a special flight, sources in Jaffna said. He held
discussion with the Sri Lanka army high officials in Palaali military
headquarters and at 11.15 a.m. he met with the Jaffna Government Agent
Mr.K.Ganesh at the latter's office located in the Jaffna district
secretariat and discussed about the ground situation in the peninsula.
Government officials also attended the discussion, sources said.

Hundreds of Sri Lanka security forces were stationed in Jaffna town to
provide security to the visiting US diplomats. People entering and
leaving Jaffna town area and secretariat surroundings were
meticulously searched.

Ambassador Boucher and K Ganesh

Mr.Ganesh is reported to have handed over a memorandum to Mr.Boucher
about the current ground situation in Jaffna.

Mr.Boucher later in the afternoon visited Jaffna Public Library.

He then visited the Jaffna University and held discussion with the
Vice Chancellor and his staff about the problems faced by
undergraduates and academic staff.

Ambassador Boucher and the US delegation is also expected to visit the
Uthayan paper offices afte the meeting in the Campus. Editors and
workers at Uthayan are under threat by SLA-backed paramilitaries, and
workers have been shot dead in an earlier incident.



Later in the evening Mr.Boucher is scheduled to visit Amparai in the
east.

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