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World
Vision denies JHU allegations, protests to CBK and Premier Sri Lankan Country Director for World Vision, Yu Hwa Li who is to meet Premier Rajapakse on Tuesday to discuss post-tsunami rehabilitation work is to raise the issue of last week’s protests by both the JHU and the JVP accusing the organisation of using the tsunami disaster to carry out conversions. World Vision was one of the organisations formally approached by the Prime Minister's office to seek assistance in the housing project for the tsunami-displaced in Hambantota. The protests by the JHU and the JVP were levelled against the Sri Lankan branch of World Vision following funds from the tsunami aid cricket match were directed to World Vision Australia for distribution in the respective countries through its respective local branches. World Vision's Sri Lanka Country Director dismissed JVP accusations as 'nonsense', stating that it was ironic that a co-partner of the government was against the allocation of funds when President Kumaratunga herself was heading the Centre for National Operations, which was 'fully appreciative of the tsunami relief carried out by World Vision'. "We are certain that certain fanatical religious groups will make the most out of the disaster by attempting conversions. We want this stopped. We are opposed to rehabilitation work being carried out on a mass scale by World Vision as it is an organisation which has been accused of conversions", JHU Parlimentarian Ven. Athuraliye Ratana Thera said in an interview with The Sunday Times adding that the JHU was justified in accusing World Vision. "The Presidential Buddhist Commission report clearly indicates World Vision as one of the organisations carrying out conversions in the country. We are therefore just in our accusations. The President should take adequate steps to intervene in preventing large amounts of monies being diverted to World Vision for relief work", Ven. Ratana Thera said. |
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