Mr. James D. Wolfensohn,                                                                         

The President,                                                                                

The World Bank,                                                                             

1818, H Street, N.W.,                                                                      

Washington, D.C.20433,                                                                   

U.S.A.

Subject: World Bank Country Director in Sri Lanka visits  LTTE Secretariat

Dear Mr. Wolfensohn,

A report in local press states that your Country Director for Sri Lanka, Peter Harrold, and a team of World Bank officials had visited the Secretariat of the LTTE to hand “...over a Tamil translation of the Country Assistance Strategy which covers projects to be introduced in the northern and eastern provinces, including the un-cleared areas” (The Sunday Times. July 25, 2004).

This action by members of your staff is in complete violation of Security Council Resolution 1373 from which the following clauses are quoted:

Clause 1 “(d) Prohibits their nationals or any persons and entities within their territories from making any funds, financial assets or economic resources or financial or other related services available, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of persons who commit... terrorist acts...”.

Clause 2 “(a) Refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts...”.

By his irresponsible actions your Country Director in Sri Lanka has clearly violated the terms of Resolution 1373. Not only did he visit the Secretariat of an entity designated as a terrorist organization, but also by giving a Tamil translation of the Country Assistance Strategy the support extended by your office reflects a level of partiality to the LTTE that is unacceptable from an organization such as yours. The fact that your office in Sri Lanka had to reassure that no funds would be given directly to the LTTE is an apparent admission of your staff’s original consideration to fund the LTTE directly.

Funding projects in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces ultimately is an act of support to the LTTE without any reciprocity from them. It is deeply regretted that your office has not deemed it appropriate to link development aid with eschewing of violence and terrorism by word and deed, particularly to an entity such as the LTTE, whose record of human rights violations is unprecedented.

The actions of your staff have been an affront to Sri Lanka’s dignity and sovereignty. We therefore call upon you to take appropriate action and would appreciate very much your assurance that the activities of your staff in Sri Lanka are strictly confined to that of a lending agency without extending into the country’s politics in general, and in particular, to issues relating to the peace process.

Thanking you for your cooperation.

Very truly yours,

Patriotic National movement (PNM) - Sri Lanka