Sri Lanka Rising Star Of Asian Economy

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“Which country had the best performing market in 2010? Fox News asked in a special report on Sri Lanka. ‘Guess what? It was not the United States of America! The best performing stock market was Sri Lanka’s CSE which was up 96% for the year’,” they said, the Sri Lanka government website said Wednesday.

The government article noted that Fox News called Sri Lanka ‘the rising star of the Asian economy’, adding that Sri Lanka has demonstrated economic resilience amid a global economic downturn, emerging as a success story for others to emulate.

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has now returned to peace and prosperity, the report said adding that the government has devoted millions of dollars to develop and restore life in the areas affected by the decades-long conflict.

‘Most people displaced by the fighting have returned home as the country focuses on healing and reconciliation’.

Fox News also refers to a US Senate report which called the victory against the LTTE one of the few times in history that a terrorist group has ever been defeated.

The website also highlighted comments by Fox Newx stating that Sri Lanka is Asian’s oldest democracy, it adds: ‘continuing its rich traditions of democracy and political freedom, elections were held in 2010 throughout the entire country for the first time since 1983’.

The Fox News report also stated that Sri Lanka is a ‘hub of religious tolerance’.

Following is the Fox News transcript:

Sri Lanka is an island nation with a rich cultural heritage and a written history of over 2500 years. Nestled below the Southern tip of India, Sri Lanka is home to 21 million ethnically diverse people including Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and Malays.

It is Asia’s oldest democracy and a hub of religious tolerance.

Sri Lanka is also the rising star of the Asian economy situated at the centre of the global shipping routes. It plays a vital role in international trade linking East and West.

The country is famous for producing and exporting its world-renowned Ceylon teas, clothing from Asian global manufactures, rubber products, jewellery and gems such as blue sapphires and Ceylon rubies as well as coconut products, spices and a variety of herbs.

Its stock market has in recent years been one of the world’s best performing exchanges. Sri Lanka’s economy is currently on the rise as it is expected to grow by 7.2% in 2010. Amid a global economic downturn, Sri Lanka has demonstrated economic resilience emerging as a success story for others to emulate.

Tourism plays an increasingly important role in Sri Lanka’s booming economy and Sri Lanka has been recognized as a world class tourist destination. The natural beauty of its tropical forests, beaches, mountainous landscapes and cultural heritage make it a place of unrivaled splendor that has long been praised by travel writers.

In January 2010 the New York Times named Sri Lanka its top tourist destination. National Geographic also named Sri Lanka one of its 25 best trips of the year. The magazine found that; “Sri Lanka is finally starting to look like its old self, a peaceful destination where surf lineups are nonexistent despite world class waves and centuries old tea estates are lined with mountain bike –ready trails.”

During the first half of 2010, tourist arrivals doubled compared to the same time the previous year. In May 2009 Sri Lanka prevailed in decades-long conflict against the terrorist group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). A US Senate report called the victory one of the few times in history that a terrorist group has ever been defeated.

Sri Lanka has now returned to peace and prosperity. The government with the assistance of foreign aid has devoted millions of dollars to develop and restore life in the areas affected by the decades-long conflict. Roads and other infrastructure have been rebuilt and social development programs are in place and more are being planned. Most people displaced by the fighting have returned home as the country focuses on healing and reconciliation.

Sri Lanka gained universal suffrage in 1931 and Independence from the British in 1948. Continuing its rich traditions of democracy and political freedom, elections were held in 2010 throughout the entire country for the first time since 1983.

Sri Lankans went to the polls twice in 2010, first to elect a President and then a new Parliament. The people of Sri Lanka re-elected President Rajapaksa with a record mandate. In the April Parliamentary elections, the President’s party won 2/3 of the votes, a resounding victory for the President’s policies. Since May 2009 Sri Lanka has experienced a tremendous political, social and economic transformation that has benefited and rejuvenated all Sri Lankans. The country is committed to peace, reconciliation and prosperity for all with the hope of making Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia.

-End of Narration-

CLIP (Report on National Geographic Channel)

The National Geographic Channel in an exclusive report categorized Sri Lanka as the second best place to visit.

The commentators, the Times Travel Writer Jil Crawshow and Editor of Wandertrust Magazine describe Sri Lanka as ‘definitely a best place to visit’.

Referring to the first world traveller Marco Polo’s description of his ‘favourite island’, as the ‘Jade Pendant in the Indian Ocean’, the commentators state that Sri Lanka is exactly what it is and that it has got ‘basically everything for a tourist’.

Observing that in Sri Lanka a tourist may have a ‘beach to yourself’, they add that the country has hundreds of miles of ‘amazingly undiscovered beaches and coral marine life’. ‘It is arguably one of the greatest islands for beaches’, they add.

They report that Sri Lanka has a wonderful history and culture in a really small space and state that Sigiriya is a place not to be missed because of its scenic beauty.

‘You don’t get to number two without some must-see sights’, they add.

Stating that Sri Lanka’s wildlife is a ‘major highlight’, they refer to the availability of elephants and leopards, making a special reference to the Pinnawala Elephant Sanctuary. Pinnawala is now the largest herd in captivity with 65 elephants. It opened with seven elephants in 1975.

They also comment on the ‘lovely food’ and point out, ‘if anyone wants to taste spicy curry then, definitely, Sri Lanka is the place to go’. ‘Sri Lanka has a little bit of everything’, they said.

Following is a video posted by the Sri Lanka government website:

12 thoughts on “Sri Lanka Rising Star Of Asian Economy

  • February 24, 2011 at 7:34 pm
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    Was Fox News and Eurasia Review paid off by one of the advertising agencies that the government of Sri Lanka which is facing a United Nations war crimes investigation hired to white wash its image? While we all like good news, there is a need for balance and fact in reporting. Who actually authored this article? Was he or she paid off by the GoSL – Govt of Lanka? I note that there is a lot of good news about Sri Lanka on this Eurasia site!
    Bell Pottinger was on of the Public relations firms hired by the Dictatorial President who is militarizing the country ironically after the war – much like many of the Middle East dictatorships which are now crumbling.

    Reply
    • February 25, 2011 at 12:36 am
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      What an angry voice of an LTTE terror supporter. No way should any media source listen to LTTE terror supporters as LTTE are the worse terrorist organization humanity ever produced.

      Killing LTTE terrorists is not a crime at all.

      Reply
  • February 24, 2011 at 8:13 pm
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    Hey Dinu,

    LTTE sympathisers are busy denigrating Sri Lanka and no doubt you are one of them. Look; Sri Lanka is what it is no matter what you guys do. It is over. Sri lanka is neither been militaised nor is MR a dictator. You seem to know nothing about either the Middle east or Sri Lanka, except what you watch on TV; which is a framed view.

    Reply
    • February 24, 2011 at 8:56 pm
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      Hi If SriLanka is so good why don’t you all go back and live there instead of showlinf snow in this country.
      Sri Pathy Thillsiampalam

      Reply
      • February 25, 2011 at 12:37 am
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        We are indeed living in Sri Lanka happier than ever before since LTTE terrorists are gone. We can freely walk on the roads as Sri Lanka is now better than ever before!

        Reply
      • February 25, 2011 at 3:10 am
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        Dear SriPathi,

        I left the country out of fear becuase of your ‘Boys’targetting civilians with incessant bombings in Colombo. After loosing three of my Uni friends to random bomb blasts, I was not bold enough to stay.(remember car bombs at Maradana,Pettah and Wellawatta). I wouldn’t mind going back now.

        Reply
      • February 25, 2011 at 11:49 am
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        Hey Sripathy,

        I live in Sri Lanka so I do not need your invitation.

        Reply
    • February 25, 2011 at 4:07 am
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      “Look; Sri Lanka is what it is no matter what you guys do.”

      I have to agree. Filth remains as filth no matter what anybody does.

      “It is over. Sri lanka is neither been militaised nor is MR a dictator. ”

      The North and East are militarised and the country remains in a state of emergency. Stop lieing. The fact that MR is a dictator is conceded by none other than his own general who led the war

      Reply
      • February 25, 2011 at 11:45 am
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        Rajah,

        You see filth depending on where you are looking at. Look down below you. You have it in your body itself. Filth exists in every body and every country. But we do not call ourselves filthy because we carry them around.

        Military exists in Sri Lanka because you guys wanted it that way. Your big boy brought the military out and before that SL was one of the smallest militaries and they stayed in the barracks. Don’t complain now.

        You and I both know about the general. If General is your only source of knowledge, you should keep that knowledge to yourself. It is as useless as the general himslef now is.

        Reply
  • February 24, 2011 at 9:21 pm
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    Come on Fox news, If the srilankan government is trying to influence US policy or what the US general public want to hear, you cannot use Fox News. They are considered Right Wing Voice.
    The Obama Administration will not listen to there views. Another waste of PR money.
    Srilankan govt is facing War crime charges, you can’t influence opinion based on Fox News.

    Reply
  • February 25, 2011 at 8:04 am
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    The good news is that not all Tamils(Sri lankan)are such Ignorent & filled with hatered & jealosy.Such individuals will never accept Sri Lanka as their Motherland. Such individuals will work always against the development as a nation. They never knew what it is like to Live to-gether & work as one nation forwards. The individuals with same nature & hatered in hearts, similar to some writers who coment here formed the groups such as LTTE. But even time & the destruction what it caused has`nt opened their minds & Hearts to the truth. nor have they enlightened to the importance of peace & love.

    Reply
  • February 25, 2011 at 5:31 pm
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    Sri Lanka is finally getting the international recognition as the only country in the world to have eliminated (the most ruthless and manic) terrorism from Her soil. Yet, there are terror-supporting elements (mostly abroad) who, despite their embarassment of having supported terror in Sri Lanka with millions of dollars, only to see the terror group eliminated. The ltte-terrorists killed their own Tamil brethren who were trying to escape from the terrorists’ “human Shield” : and now, these losers need to have something to say to cover-up their embarassment: they ‘donate’ terror (extorted) money to foreign politicians as ‘campaign donations’, and get these politicians to issue ‘statements’ against Sri Lanka.

    It is high time the whole world realizes how Sri Lanka defeated this most ruthless and deranged terror group, and learn from it.

    Reply

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