JAFFNA: It is a rare privilege for international media to visit the former war torn northern Jaffna peninsula.
En route to Jaffna town centre - one still notices soldiers taking up positions at street corners ensuring peace prevails following the end of the civil war in May 2009.
It is not long before one is greeted by a historic building, the Jaffna Public Library. It has survived the destruction of a fire and the ravages of a civil war, and now stands as a symbol of hope, especially for the children of Jaffna.
The people of Jaffna are yearning for a return to normalcy, hoping their children will receive a good education.
However, the road to reconciliation remains an uphill task.
K. N. Douglas Devananda, Minister for Traditional and Small Industries for Sri Lanka, said: "Its taking effect very steadily and slowly. However, there are still some anti-government supporters amongst the Tamil people, who are still trying to mislead the people, to possibly stir up another civil war.
"I hope that the people would be able to separate the good from the bad and look ahead for a more peaceful future."
In 2009, Sri Lankan authorities asked Singapore's then Foreign Minister George Yeo for help in improving the children's section of the library.
Yogeswaray Patgunarajah, the Mayor of Jaffna, said: "In an attempt to resume the function of this once world famous public library, our municipality council contacted Minister Douglas Devananda and our governor G A Chandra Sri. They helped us to discuss our plans for the library with the Singapore representatives when they visited Sri Lanka. And it was because of that, we have now got the opportunity to restore the children's section of the library."
Inside the library is the newly improved children's section, built with help from Singapore.
At a special ceremony, Mr Yeo lights the kuthu vilakku - which symbolises a new beginning. And with the official handing over to the Jaffna Mayor - it completes an almost year long capacity building project.
Mr Yeo said: "The war is over but political reconciliation will take time because the long years of conflict have poisoned the soil and removing that toxicity will take time and effort and the cooperation of all parties involved.
"There is still a lot of bitterness, a lot of suspicion in the diaspora, which we can fully understand. So an effort has to be made by the Sri Lankan government and by members of the diaspora themselves to find ways to move on. The past is not the way to the future."
It is estimated that 1,500 children between the ages of five to 14 will benefit from the improved services at the library and Jaffna authorities are hoping more projects like these will spring up with increased linakges between Sri Lanka and Singapore.
The project is driven by the Singapore International Foundation and supported by the Singapore Cooperation Programme, the Singapore Sri Lankan Community, the National Library Board, and The Prima Group.
-CNA/ac
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