Swiss group awards certificates to de-mining personnel

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 08:35 GMT]
Forty persons who underwent a training program in de-mining organised by Swiss based Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) were awarded with certificates at a function held in Vavuniya Friday. Mr.Christoph Hebeisen, the Project Leader for Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) in Vavuniya, speaking at function said the repatriation and resettlement of all internally displaced people is the primary objective, and added that the training of Sri Lankan personnel had been very thorough and extensive.

Mr.Christoph Hebeisen.

Government and non-governmental officials and members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) attended the function. Officials of the Humanitarian Demining Unit in the Vanni were also present. Mr.S.Jayabalan (Bala), the National Operations Officer of the HDU presided over the function.

"There is a lot of work in front of us, but with time and patience the target can be achieved," Mr.Hebeisen said.

Mr.P.Yogan, the co-ordinator for the local Humanitarian De-Mining Unit (HDU), said that his organisation had benefited from the service of the FSD. "We have to maintain the speed and quality in the de-mining process in order to cope up with the fast resettlement activities of the IDPs in the Vanni," he said.

Mr.P.Pathamanthan, the Assistant Project Director of Rehabilitation in Vavuniya district, and Mr.K.Edward, the Additional GA in Mannar, Mr.Parani, the director of the HDU, also spoke. Mr.Otto Erik Sorensen of the SLMM Vavuniya office, Mr.Sivanathan Kishore, the President of Sri Lanka Red Cross' Vavuniya district, and other guests also awarded the certificates to the new de-miners.