Page 1524 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 14 May 2019
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It is important at this time that we support those members of our community who have been affected by these atrocities. We must support them and continue to show our solidarity with them. I have been touched to see so many Canberrans come together in organised vigils to remember the victims of these attacks and to show our solidarity with everyone who was impacted by them. I sincerely thank the organisers of those many events. Your actions demonstrate the strength of our community. We stand with all our local community members who have been affected by these attacks, and we stand with all Sri Lankans as they recover and look to move forward with their lives. I commend the motion to the Assembly.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (10.05): Again we are in this chamber mourning the loss of life following a brutal terrorist attack. On behalf of the Canberra Liberals, I extend my sympathies to the families and friends of the victims, and to Sri Lankans across the world, particularly here in Canberra. I, too, like the Chief Minister, acknowledge the leadership demonstrated by Sri Lankan High Commissioner Skandakumar and the presence of the Acting High Commissioner today. It was just six months ago that many of us were at the High Commission celebrating the Sri Lanka Festival. This was in the lead-up to the first test match in Canberra, which featured Sri Lanka.
By all accounts, Sri Lanka is a place of immense beauty and hospitality. Just a few months ago Sri Lanka was ranked the number one country to visit by Lonely Planet. The events of late April are a significant blow to the wonderful work that has been done to promote Sri Lanka to visitors. The progress that has been made by Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans since the civil war has been truly extraordinary.
Australia has much in common with Sri Lanka, including shared commonwealth heritage, trade, tourism, cricket and, importantly, many thousands of people-to-people links, primarily through the wonderful Sri Lankan community in Australia. Here in Canberra we are blessed to have about 3,000 or so Sri Lankans living in the city.
My first introduction to the Sri Lankan community goes back about 25 to 30 years, when Arjuna and Nehra moved in around the corner from our family home in Wanniassa. They were and are wonderful community ambassadors for Sri Lanka. Like thousands of other such Sri Lankan Canberrans, in addition to being wonderful, loving people they have taught Canberrans so much about the country. Since then I have met many Sri Lankans in Canberra, and I am always touched by their hospitality and compassion.
On Easter Sunday a number of lethal bombings took place over a six-hour period at three churches, four hotels and a housing complex. The Catholic Church of St Sebastian in Negombo and the Shrine of St Anthony in Colombo, in addition to the Zion Church in Batticaloa, were all targets by the terrorists. The coordinated, deadly attacks were carried out by suicide bombers apparently with links to or inspired by international terrorist organisations. In response, Sri Lankan authorities have been swift in making arrests and cracking down on terrorist cells.
Just as in the recent past, in response to the attacks in Christchurch, Canberrans mobilised to demonstrate their support and sympathy. At St Christopher’s Cathedral
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