Sri Lanka to Set Up Economic Zones in War Areas

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, May 14, 2002

Sri Lanka to Set Up Economic Zones in War Areas

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Sri Lanka is to set up five economic zones in the north and east of the country to revitalize economy devastated by the long draw ethnic war between government forces and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels there, the official Daily News said on Tuesday.

Labor Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said the zones will likely be set up at Trincomalee, Jaffna, Batticaloa, Vavuniya and Mannar.

Trincomalee has been long identified for major multi-faceted integrated development and has unparalleled opportunities for tourism, fishing, industry, international commerce, port and airport development.

In the north it is expected to reactivate industries such as cement, chemicals, slatterns, glass, fishnet and boat while paper,sugar, mineral sands will be reactivated in the east.

The 19-year ethnic war in the north and east of the country which has claimed over 64,000 lives since 1983 had left a legacy of disrupted infrastructure. The reconstruction in the two areas is expected to create ample job opportunities and bring economic revitalization there.

The government and Tamil rebels are observing indefinite truce in terms of an agreement signed by the two sides in February. Bothsides are expected to hold peace talks in Thailand in June, hopefully to bring to an end of the country's long-running ethnic war.

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