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FEATURE-Kashmir's weeping willow a winner in right hands
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Sri Lanka's war-hit north hosts first trade fair
Reuters, 08.02.02, 1:32 AM ET
By Chamath Ariyadasa
JAFFNA, Sri Lanka, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The centre of Sri
Lanka's ethnic conflict will hold its first trade fair on
Saturday since the beginning of one of Asia's longest-running
wars that ripped apart the trust of two trading communities.
Northern Jaffna, fought over by separatist Tamil rebels and
the Sinhalese-led government, will see about 75 companies from
the south bring their wares, encouraged by a five-month
ceasefire that could lead to groundbreaking peace talks.
"The motto for the fair is peace through trade,"
Rehabilitation Minister Jayalath Jayawardena told Reuters.
From shoes, water pumps and fertiliser to services such as
cargo handling and insurance, top Sri Lankan companies will
showcase themselves in the partly bombed out Jaffna Central
College, one of the larger schools in the peninsula.
Jaffna, which had little industry even before the war, has
onions, mangoes, fish and products from its many Palmyrah palm
trees on offer.
The fair is possible due to a Norwegian-brokered peace bid
that is seen as the best chance to end a dispute that has
killed about 64,000 people and stifled economic growth since
1983.
But while the government, elected in December on a dual
pro-business and peace platform, has lifted an economic embargo
and opened roads, local businessmen remain wary in an area that
has failed to attract local or foreign investment.
They said they need substantial support to get back on
their feet and had not yet received offers to form joint
ventures with companies from the south.
"We feel the trade fair is too early," said M. Ramathasan,
vice-chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of
Yarlpanam (Jaffna), that has about 60 firms.
"Jaffna businessmen and entrepreneurs have all left due to
the war. Those remaining lack capital for investment," he said.
Businessmen were also wary about companies in the south
just marketing their goods in the north and not investing.
"If there is investment that will develop industrial
capacity in Jaffna, we will encourage that," said C.
Elamparithy, the Jaffna district leader of the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
"The long-term war has crippled economic conditions of the
people of Jaffna," he said.
Ramathasan said banks were still not giving long-term loans
to local businessmen even though the truce signed in February.
There have also been no major aid programmes from donors,
who are waiting until the peace process is further entrenched.
"We are getting inquiries. People are visiting, but
everyone is waiting," said R. Jeyasegaran, the president of the
Chamber of Commerce of Jaffna, the second trade chamber in
Jaffna with about 500 members.
However, officials said the benefits from the truce and the
opening up of the region were substantial with about 1,500
people travelling daily to the peninsula through the recently
opened A9 highway that passes through a large tract of
rebel-held jungle.
The price of a trucked-in litre of petrol had dropped to 58
rupees from 81.50 two weeks ago. A litre costs 47.50 in the
capital Colombo.
But prices of commodities grown in the peninsula have risen
due to greater shipments to the south.
A kilo of onions, one of the main crops, jumped fivefold to
about 50 rupees before dropping to 25 rupees this month due to
a large harvest.
Direct peace talks, following four previous peace bids that
ended in bloodshed, could take place in the next few months in
neutral Thailand.
Copyright 2002, Reuters News Service
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