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6 THE JAPAN TIMES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2009 (3)

Sri Lanka independence day

Standing at the threshold of true freedom

Mahinda RajapaksaPRESIDENT OF SRI LANKA

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It is with an immense sense ofpride that I send this message tomark the 61st National Daycelebrations of Sri Lanka.

This pride comes from themany achievements toward thestrengthening of our freedomgained in recent months since welaunched a decisive humanitarianoperation to free our motherlandfrom the clutches of terrorism.

Beginning with the success ofthe heroic troops of our free anddemocratic society in clearing theterrorists from Mavil Aru inAugust 2006, and proceeding tothe liberation of the entire east,we have regained control ofalmost all of our land in the northtoo, including the entire JaffnaPeninsula.

The terrorist strongholds oncebelieved to be invincible such asKilinochchi, Elephant Pass andMullaitivu have fallen in rapidsuccession, bringing the finalelimination of terrorism from ourmotherland and the dawn of truefreedom to all our people wellwithin our reach.

I take this opportunity to paythis generous tribute to our heroicforces for the sacrifices they havemade, and the courage anddetermination they havedisplayed in ensuring that on this61st anniversary of

independence, we have movedbeyond the threshold of afreedom that is richer and moremeaningful than what wasachieved in 1948.

As we pay this well-deservedtribute to our heroic forces, wecan be satisfied that many whowere once critical of ouroperations to eradicate terrorismfrom our land are citing Sri Lankaand the success of our troops asan example on how terrorismshould be defeated.

As we move toward a largerfreedom, our thoughts go out tothe innocent Tamil people of thenorth who remain in bondageunder the ruthless forces of

terrorists who claim to be theirliberators. I pledge to you todaythat these people, who share ourmotherland, will be liberated, andgiven the equality and rights thatthey are entitled to under theconstitution.

This is also the occasion toremember with honor all those SriLankans from the Sinhala, Tamil,Muslim and Burgher, and everyother community and faith in ourcountry, who led the strugglesand made many sacrifices toobtain freedom from the colonialdomination and exploitation thatprevailed in our country for morethan 500 years. Those who fightagainst the pockets of terrorismremaining today continue thisgreat battle for freedom of ourforefathers.

At this significant moment inthe history of our country, I callupon all of our peoples to beunited as a single nation in anundivided country, showing thetolerance, trust andunderstanding that have been thefoundation of our nationthroughout its glorious history. Letno one sow the seeds of hatredand mistrust anymore.

May all Sri Lankans achievetheir aspirations for peace andequality in full measure, and let usjoin to take our motherland to thegreat era of a vibrant democracyand freedom from fear in the newSri Lanka that lies ahead.

Sri Lanka looks forward to an

eventful year of cooperationJayantha PalipaneAMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE OF SRI LANKA

TO JAPAN

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On the happy occasion of the61st anniversary of Sri Lan-ka’s independence, I conveyt h e w a r mgreetings of thepeople and gov-ernment of SriLanka to TheirImperial Maj-esties EmperorAkihito andEmpress Mi-chiko, as well as to the friendlypeople of Japan. I also extendmy very best wishes to all SriLankans living in Japan.

Sri Lanka and Japan havecontinued to enjoy close andfriendly relations. Historianshave found that the earliestcontacts between Japan andSri Lanka were in the pursuitof Thervada Buddhism in theseventh century. Our tiesbased on shared values andmutual respect have grownover the years, encompassinga diverse field of activities.The visits of Prime MinisterRatnasiri Wickramanayakalast year and the staging of theSri Lanka Cultural HeritageExhibition at the Tokyo Na-tional Museum last Septem-ber have been the highlights ofour bilateral exchanges in therecent past. We were deeplytouched and honored by thevisit of Their Imperial Majes-ties to the exhibition. We be-lieve that the visitors to the ex-hibition had an opportunity ofglimpsing the rich, 2,500-year-old cultural heritage of SriLanka.

Japanese ODA continues tomake a significant contribu-tion to and have an impact onthe economic development ofSri Lanka. We are grateful tothe people and government of

Japan for the generous contri-bution they have made formore than four decades tomake a difference in the livesof Sri Lankans.

‘‘Mahinda Chinthana,’’ aprogram of economic and so-cial empowerment of the peo-ple, ushered in by PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa at thecommencement of his presi-dency, guides the overall de-velopment policies of the gov-ernment. Infrastructure de-velopment and the creation ofemployment opportunities arepriority areas under the presi-dent’s vision. We are happy toobserve that the Japanesegovernment has generouslycome forward to fund manydevelopment projects envis-aged under the program.

2009 will be another land-mark year in our bilateral re-lations. The Sigiriya Museumat the UNESCO World Heri-tage site of Sigiriya, con-structed with Japanese fund-ing, will open in the first half ofthis year. The famed fifth-cen-tury frescoes are part of the Si-giriya heritage. It is expectedthat the opening of the muse-um will help to educate thou-sands of tourists who visit thewonders of Sigiriya.

Sri Lankans are celebratingtheir National Day in anatmosphere of unprecedentedenthusiasm and hope for a bet-ter future. President Rajapak-sa’s able leadership and prag-matic state policies have tak-en Sri Lanka to new heights.Our heroic men and women inuniform have been exception-ally successful in their cam-paign to liberate the people ofthe north and east from theclutches of terrorism. On thisauspicious day, we salutethem, and remember withgratitude those brave men andwomen who have laid down

their lives.The government has reiter-

ated its commitment to find anacceptable and sustainablepolitical solution to the ethnicissue after the people in thenorth have been liberatedfrom the LTTE terrorists.

The Eastern Province, oncedominated by the terrorists,has been brought under therule of a popularly electedchief minister. This has beenpossible only after the prov-ince was cleared of LTTE ac-tivities. We are hopeful thatthe same success can be re-peated in the north very soon.Re-establishing democracyand the rule of law in the northand east has opened up manyopportunities. The govern-ment has duly embarked uponan ambitious program to de-velop the infrastructure in thetwo provinces as a priority. Inthis endeavor, Sri Lanka hasinvited friendly countries to bepartners in the economic de-velopment of these areas.

I acknowledge with a deepsense of gratitude, the yeomenservices rendered by YasuoFukuda, who has been the dis-tinguished president of the Ja-pan-Sri Lanka Association formany decades, toward enrich-ing our bilateral relations. I al-so take this opportunity tocommend the sincere andlong-standing efforts of HoseiNorota, chairman of the Ja-pan-Sri Lanka ParliamentaryFriendship League, towardpromoting our relations.

Having arrived in Tokyothis January to take up my as-signment, I am confident thatthe coming year will see thefurther enhancement of thefriendship between Sri Lankaand Japan. I look forward to aclose and fruitful interactionwith the government and thefriendly people of Japan.

New era of peace,harmony dawnsRohitha BogollagamaMINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

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We celebrate the 61st anniver-sary of independence todaywith a great sense of optimism.As light comes through theclouds of uncertainty, a newhope beckons, and it is this hopethat the people of Sri Lankahave desired so intensely to re-alize, a sustainable peace.Sixty-one years after regainingindependence, we are indeed ata momentous juncture of ourhistory.

The core values of democra-cy and pluralism embedded inour society have for almostthree decades been challengedby the horrendous human cru-elty unleashed by terrorism.Many innocent lives have beenlost to senseless violence. I sa-lute the valiant members of oursecurity forces who have laiddown their lives for the noblecause of protecting this blessedland from the curse of terror-ism and hatred, thus contribut-ing to open before us a new eraof peace and harmony.

Following the successes inhumanitarian operations to lib-erate the people who had con-tinued to live in the clutches ofterrorism, Sri Lanka has seenvast strides being made in theresolution of the conflict. Thedemocratic space created with-in the political mainstream hasprovided the opportunity evenfor former militants to enter itat regional and national levels.The evolving post-conflict peri-od provides for wider politicaldiscourse for those on the dem-ocratic path to arrive at a work-able, practical mechanism forthe establishment of a sustain-able political solution throughthe All-Party RepresentativeCommittee process.

Notwithstanding the turbu-

lence in the world economy, theresilience demonstrated by theSri Lankan economy is remark-able. We have managed toachieve impressive growthrates while fighting terrorismand we can look forward t o abright future with confidence.The government is resolved toempower the people to reap thebenefits of economic growth inan equitable and fair manner,and in particular in the n o r t hand the east.

Having its foreign policy te-nets shaped by nonalignmentprinciples, Sri Lanka continuesto play a dynamic role in thefield of international diploma-cy. Our role in international af-fairs, with an ethos of modera-tion and peaceful co-existence,continues to be the foundationof our engagement with the in-ternational community. In asmuch as our foreign policystands to protect our sovereignindependence and territorial in-tegrity, we continue to play animportant role in the UnitedNations. Our role in a variety ofmultilateral forums, includingthe Commonwealth, BIM-STEC, IORARC, ACD, ASEANRegional Forum and the Groupof 77, as well as our significantcontributions to the Law of theSea, Indian Ocean Peace Zoneand Israel Practices Commit-tee, bear testimony to Sri Lan-

ka’s commitment to interna-tional diplomacy.

Multilateral obligations havenot diminished Sri Lanka’s in-volvement in regional forums.Our proactive role in the regionis amply demonstrated by ourparticipation in the South AsianAssociation for Regional Coop-eration (SAARC), which wepresently chair. In facing itspresent challenges, Sri Lankahas never been alone. I take thisopportunity to express the ap-preciation of the government ofSri Lanka to our friends in the

international community forthe assistance extended to us inour endeavors to counter ter-rorism and achieve economicprosperity.

I also call on all Sri Lankanswherever they may be, wheth-er in Sri Lanka or overseas, tojoin hands in building bridges ofamity, hope and peace over therivers of hatred, enmity andmisperception. As we inch to-ward a new chapter in our his-tory, the Sri Lankan diasporamust play a proactive role inthe country’s economic ad-

vancement and social develop-ment.

Let us draw inspiration fromour forefathers who fought sozealously to regain our indepen-dence 61 years ago. Let us re-solve to protect our vibrant de-mocracy, with its multiethnic,multireligious and multicultur-al character intact, treasuredand nurtured. Let us join handsto reinvigorate the age-old val-ues of tolerance, trust and mu-tual respect to make this coun-try a better place for ourselvesand future generations.

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Sri Lanka independence day/world

Watching TVas teen linkedto depression

Los AngelesLOS ANGELES TIMES

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You might be depressed by theamount of time your teenagecouch potato spends in front ofthe TV but, according to a newstudy, all that tube time couldincrease his or her risk of be-coming depressed as an adult.

Researchers at the Univer-sity of Pittsburgh and Har-vard Medical School looked atthe media habits of 4,142healthy adolescents and cal-culated that each additionalhour of TV watched per dayboosted the odds of becomingdepressed by 8 percent.

Other forms of media, suchas playing computer gamesand watching videos, did notaffect the risk of depression,according to the study pub-lished Tuesday in the Archivesof General Psychology.

The results do not provethat TV viewing itself causesdepression, said Dr. BrianPrimack of Pitt’s Center forResearch on Health Care, wholed the study. ‘‘It could be ar-gued that people with the pre-dilection for later develop-ment of depression also hap-pen to have a predilection forwatching lots of TV,’’ he said.

But the circumstantial evi-dence pointing to TV as theculprit is strong, according tothe study.

The researchers examineddata from the National Longi-tudinal Study of AdolescentHealth, which followed a rep-resentative sample of U.S.teens for seven years. Whenthe subjects were initially sur-veyed in 1995 as junior highand high school students, theywatched TV for an average of2.3 hours each day. They alsospent 37 minutes daily watch-ing videocassettes, 25 minutesplaying computer games and2.3 hours listening to the radio.

Arabs in Israel fretfuture ahead of votePalestinianparties spliton whether toboycott polls

Barry ParkerNazareth IsraelAFP-JIJI

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Ihab Issa says he cannot takeany more war in the aftermathof the Gaza Strip offensive andswears that he will not be vot-ing in Israel’s Feb. 10 generalelection.

The 28-year-old restaurantowner is one of 1.4 million Ar-abs living in Israel, caught be-tween a Palestinian identity, amilitarized Jewish state andextremist calls for their ‘‘trans-fer’’ off traditional lands.

‘‘It’s just war, war, war. Ev-ery couple of years Israel goesto war and children and inno-cent people get killed . . . in Ga-za, in Lebanon,’’ he said angri-ly.

‘‘Now they (Israel) ask me tovote for somebody. How can Ivote?’’ Issa asks, seated at a ta-ble at his Torkiy restaurant inNazareth, the largest Arabtown in Galilee.

Arab Israelis, descendantsof the 160,000 Palestinians whostayed on after the creation ofIsrael in 1948, now make up 20percent of the population. Butsuch a potentially powerfulvote bank has been split b y aproliferation of feuding parties.

For this election, however,Arab politicians are daring tohope for the better, now that theSupreme Court has overturneda ban on their top two coalitionsfor allegedly failing to recog-nize Israel’s right to exist.

‘‘These are the elections ofrevenge, not in blood but bydemocratic means,’’ said SheikIbrahim Sarsour, who headsthe United Arab Party and themoderate Islamist movementin Israel.

Sarsour is calling for votes to

avenge three weeks of deathand destruction in the GazaStrip, for the attempt to ban theArab parties and for the dailytrials Arabs face in Israel.

Fears that the next govern-ment will step up pressure to‘‘transfer’’ Arab Israelis to a fu-ture Palestinian state have in-creased the stakes in the gener-al election.

‘‘We feel we are facing areal threat to our physical ex-istence. In 30 years we mightbe 45 to 50 percent of the totalpopulation — a demographictime bomb for Israel,’’ saidSarsour at his office in KfarQasem, an Arab town over-looking Israel’s coastal belt.

One leading proponent oftransfer is Avigdor Lieber-man and his rising YisraelBeitenu Party, tipped to winup to 16 seats and possibly jointhe next coalition govern-ment.

But even Foreign MinisterTzipi Livni, who heads the rul-ing Kadima Party, has urgedArab nationalists in Israel tojoin a future Palestinian state,sparking uproar in the com-munity.

The Arab-Israeli turnouthas dwindled from 90 percentin the 1950s to 62 percent in2003 and 56 percent in 2006 —and some 30 percent of those

voted for Zionist parties.‘‘We are all working hard to

better that percentage,’’ Sar-sour said with an eye on 12 to 15Arab politicians, a significantincrease on the nine in today’s120-seat Knesset.

Despite the growing con-cern, efforts to unite the mainblocs in a single list of Arab-Is-raeli candidates failed, large-ly over personality issues.

Worse still, the Sons of theHomeland (Abna el-Balad)Party has joined the radicalIslamist movement in callingfor a boycott of the ballot — apotential loss of around 10 per-cent of the electorate.

Jamal Zahalka, head of theNational Democratic Assem-bly, talks of the overriding need‘‘to get the vote out’’ after thetrauma of the Gaza assault.

The assembly, which hasthree lawmakers, has for thefirst time a Druse candidate atNo. 2 on its list and a woman inthe next slot.

Haneen Zobi looks set to be-come the first Arab-Israeliwoman to enter the Israeli Par-liament.

Zobi, 39, a media expert fromNazareth, worries that the Ar-ab voter turnout will fall, not in-crease. ‘‘The Palestinians areso angry (at the Gaza war). Weare trying our best not to losevotes. I am afraid of a low turn-out,’’ she said.

High in the hills at Umm al-Fahm — the main center ofradical Islam in Israel — Dr.Afo Egbarieh sees depressionall around.

The senior Hadash commu-nist party figure says the elec-tion is being held ‘‘in the shad-ow of war.’’

‘‘You can see it everywhere.People are depressed . . . in-different,’’ said Egbarieh, whois No. 4 on the coalition calledthe Arab Democratic Frontfor Peace and Equality.

The front is fighting underthe slogan ‘‘Protect our exis-tence, build our future,’’ butthe doctor said he is concernedthat ‘‘people are dealing withwar as a protest, by not vot-ing.’’

IN BRIEF-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Holder confirmed top U.S. attorneyWashington THE WASHINGTON POST, AP

The Senate confirmed Eric Holder as the nation’s first blackAmerican attorney general by a vote of 75-21 Monday, opening anew chapter for a Justice Department that had suffered underallegations of improper political influence and policy disputesover wiretapping and harsh interrogation practices.

Holder, 58, was to be sworn in Tuesday at the JusticeDepartment headquarters in Washington.

President Barack Obama planned to nominate Sen. JuddGregg as commerce secretary the same day, the White Houseconfirmed Monday as the New Hampshire Republican disclosedan apparent deal that will keep his seat out of Democratic hands.

‘‘I have made it clear to the Senate leadership on both sides ofthe aisle and to the governor that I would not leave the Senate if Ifelt my departure would cause a change in the makeup of theSenate,’’ Gregg said Monday in a statement.

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch confirmed the‘‘understanding,’’ stopping just short of promising to appoint aRepublican or an independent to serve out the remaining twoyears of Gregg’s term.

U.N. forces refuse to quit Sudan townCairo AP

Sudanese forces bombed the outskirts of a rebel-held town insouthern Darfur on Monday as U.N. Secretary General Ban KiMoon said peacekeepers will not heed a government request toleave the area. Some 5,000 residents were taking refuge aroundthe peacekeepers’ compound, the spokesman for thepeacekeepers, Nourredine Mezni, confirmed.

Sudan told the peacekeepers Sunday to leave so governmentforces could retake the town after rebels seized it.

AU troops kill Somalian civiliansMogadishu AP

African Union peacekeepers opened fire Monday on civilianvehicles and fatally shot 18 people after an AU vehicle was hit bya land mine, officials and a witness said.

The peacekeepers fired at three minibus taxis carrying civiliansafter the land mine damaged an AU vehicle in the Somali capital,Mogadishu, said Deputy Mayor Abdifitah Ibrahim Shawey.

AU peacekeeping force spokesman Bahoku Barigye said theUgandan contingent of the AU force was responding to gunfireand he does not know who they hit.

Cuba political prisoner numbers fallHavana AP

The number of political prisoners held in Cuba continues to fallgradually, but brief detentions of activists have soared underPresident Raul Castro’s rule, with more than 1,500 documented lastyear, the island’s leading independent rights group said Monday.

The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and NationalReconciliation said that it documented 205 political prisoners asof Jan. 30, down from 234 in early 2008. Twelve of the 205 havebeen freed on medical parole but continue to serve theirsentences and can be returned to prison for parole violations.

Rising minority: AvigdorLieberman, leader of theYisrael Beitenu Party, hasproposed the ‘‘transfer’’ ofArabs in Israel to a futurePalestinian state. AFP-JIJI

Progress, growth expand‘Gateway to South Asia’

Sumitaka FujitaCHAIRMAN, JAPAN-SRI LANKA BUSINESS

COOPERATION COMMITTEE

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On behalf of the Japan-SriLanka Business CooperationC o m m i t t e e(JSLBCC), it ismy great plea-sure to extendour most heart-felt congratula-tions to the peo-ple of Sri Lankaon the occasionof the 61st anniversary of theirindependence.

The JSLBCC was estab-lished in August 1979 with theobjective of expanding trade,investment, tourism and pro-moting other productive bilat-eral business initiatives. Inaddition to periodic jointmeetings, the committee par-ticipates in gatherings and

events to facilitate active in-teraction among key Japa-nese and Sri Lankan govern-ment and business leaders.

We have great respect andadmiration for Sri Lanka’s an-cient civilization, and the tre-mendous achievement of build-ing a modern and democraticgovernment to serve your di-verse population of approxi-mately 20 million citizens.

In recent years, Sri Lanka’svibrant economy has consis-tently achieved 6 percent to 7percent annual GDP growth.Your proximity to the huge In-dian market, combined withthe ratified FTA, will benefityour citizens and foreign com-panies operating in Sri Lanka.Furthermore, ongoing pro-grams to provide quality edu-cation, to advance your na-tion’s human resources, willenable domestic and foreigncompanies to achieve higherlevels of productivity andgrowth. I am confidant thatSri Lanka will continue toflourish economically and ex-pand its role as the ‘‘Gatewayto South Asia.’’

As we are all aware, Japanand Sri Lanka have a verylong and rich historical rela-tionship, particularly in termsof cultural exchanges involv-ing our shared Buddhist tradi-tions. Through growing com-mercial relationships, Japa-nese firms have becomefamiliar with the special char-acteristics of the Sri Lankanpeople, valuing their diligentnature and grateful for thewarmth they extend to Japa-nese people. I believe thatthese characteristics will en-courage more and more inter-national companies to consid-er expanding their businessactivities in Sri Lanka.

In closing, we trust that SriLanka’s continuing policy ofwelcoming foreign companieswill sustain and enhance yourremarkable progress. Pleasebe assured that the JSLBCCwill continue to promote ac-tive economic exchange, andever-closer commercial tiesbetween Japanese and SriLankan businesses.

Sigiriya Museum slatedto open its doors in AprilSigiriya — the Lion Rock —one of Asia’s most fascinatingarchaeological edifices hasbeen recognized by UNESCOas a World Heritage site. It of-fers an insight into the incredi-ble technology, urban plan-ning, architecture, engineer-ing, hydraulics, gardendesign, painting, sculptureand poetry of a magnificentpast. It has attracted the at-tention of modern antiquari-ans and archaeologists sincethe early 19th century. Sincethen Sigiriya has been an ob-ject of intense archaeologicalinvestigation. Surrounded byforests, and set in a culturallandscape of remarkable nat-ural beauty and historical in-terest, an ancient city palaceand garden complex are cen-tered on the Sigiriya rock.

The magnificent rock, ris-ing about 180 meters from thenorthern plain of Sri Lanka,stands like a sentinel visiblefor miles in all directions.The world has inherited thepresent city palace complex,the magnificent water gar-dens and the famed frescoesfrom the time of King Kasy-

apa I who ruled in the fifthcentury.

The ancient glory of Sigiri-ya and its historical impor-tance should be protected andbe open to the world. In this re-spect, the creation of an ar-chaeological museum hasbeen a long-felt need.

The government of Japanhas readily agreed to fund theconstruction of the SigiriyaMuseum. The museum hasbeen designed to be environ-mentally friendly. The designwill also make Sigiriya aprominent natural heritagesite promoting culture-orient-ed tourism. Japanese finan-cial assistance is being provid-ed to meet these goals.

The foundation stone of thebuilding was laid July 14, 2006.At present, 98 percent of theconstruction and interior de-sign have been completed.The building covers an area of4,000 sq. meters. It consists ofseveral other facilities for con-ducting educational, researchand audiovisual programs,and an open-air stage for en-tertainment, in addition to oth-er common facilities.

The 480.9 million Sri Lankanrupees cost of the project is be-ing met by a grant from thegovernment of Japan. The mu-seum will open in April.

The government of theDemocratic Socialist Republicof Sri Lanka conveys its sin-cere appreciation to the gov-ernment and people of Japanfor their generous contributionto the realization of thisdream. The Sigiriya Museumwill be another milestone inJapan-Sri Lanka relations.

Strong ties bedded in cultural affinitiesHosei NorotaCHAIRMAN, JAPAN-SRI LANKA

PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP LEAGUE

MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES

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I am pleased to extend myheartfelt con-gratulations toPresident Ma-hinda Rajapak-sa, the govern-ment and peo-ple of Sri Lankaon the occasionof their coun-try’s 61st anniversary of inde-pendence.

Throughout the last 61years, the world has wit-nessed Sri Lanka’s continueddevelopment. I am confidentthat Sri Lanka’s move towardprosperity will be furtherconsolidated under the dy-namic leadership of Presi-dent Rajapaksa, whom I hadthe honor of meeting alongwith a Japanese parliamen-tary delegation during our of-ficial visit to Sri Lanka in Au-gust 2008.

The Japan-Sri Lanka Par-liamentary FriendshipLeague, which was estab-lished in 1982, consists of a

number of senior Japanese Di-et members. The first chair-man of the league was KeizoObuchi. Since then it has comea long way in promotingfriendly ties between the twocountries. The league has alsocontributed to the exchange ofseveral visits between parlia-mentary members of Japanand Sri Lanka in the recentpast.

Japan and Sri Lanka havemaintained strong and cordialrelations since long before for-mal diplomatic ties were es-tablished in 1952. Cultural andreligious affinities became thepivotal link between our twonations. On this special occa-sion I would like to appeal tothe younger generations of thetwo countries to look for ave-nues of further expandingtheir interactions. The land-mark visit of President Raja-paksa to Japan in December2007 has led to a new era of co-operation between the twocountries. I hope that Japanwill reciprocate with a high-level visit to Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lanka Cultural Her-itage Exhibition, the first me-ga-exhibition presented to thepeople of Japan in the historyof Japan-Sri Lanka relations,contributed immensely to fur-ther strengthening the long-standing friendship betweenSri Lanka and Japan. The ex-hibition, which was held at theTokyo National Museum forthree months from September2008, provided a unique win-dow for the Japanese public tosee for themselves the rich,2,500-year-old cultural heri-tage of Sri Lanka.

I take this opportunity towish the government and peo-ple of Sri Lanka peace andprosperity, and promise towork toward sustaining ourwarm friendly relations.

Rock of ages: Famed fifth-century frescoes and water gardens adorn the Sigiriya WorldHeritage site. EMBASSY OF SRI LANKA

Distinguished guests: Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko(above) admire some of the artifacts at the Sri Lanka CulturalHeritage Exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum inNovember. (Below) Former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda andhis wife (below) visit the exhibition.