Colombo, Aug. 8 (Xinhua-ANI): Sri Lanka said Wednesday that it was facing an economic war three years after the military defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels.
External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris said that the economic war has been launched by some groups overseas, mostly made up of the Tamil diaspora.
Addressing the opening of a defence seminar in Sri Lanka, Peiris said that these diaspora groups are attempting to persuade tourists to boycott Sri Lanka and in turn target the root of Sri Lanka's economy.
Representatives from the military and other armed forces overseas are taking part in the seminar while Indian opposition politician Subramaniam Swamy is also a guest at the event.
In his speech Peiris expressed regret at attempts to internationalize the Sri Lankan situation and push for a foreign solution on the country.
Peiris said that the Sri Lankan government will pursue a domestic solution to the national issue with the participation of the Sri Lankan parliament.
He also stressed that the government had no intention of fully withdrawing the military from the Tamil-dominated north of the country.
Some foreign governments as well as Tamil political parties have been calling for the troop withdrawal in order to ensure normalcy returns to the area which bore the brunt of the 30-year war.
However Peiris said that it would be unwise to fully withdraw the army and instead they will only be reduced in numbers.
He also said that the remaining war displaced people in the north will be resettled by the middle of this month as demining comes to an end.
Over 350,000 people were displaced during the final stage of the war in the north and most of them have now been resettled. (Xinhua-ANI)
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