I note here my efforts to introduce structural changes in local government to promote better consultation of the people, an initiative I took up after the Minister, Mr Athaullah, asked for my assistance with drafting of a new act.

I note also the work of Jeremy Liyanage, from Australia, who had decided at my suggestion a couple of years earlier to use the aid he was able to arrange from Australia in just one area, Mannar, which I said was in danger of being neglected. He was doing great work there.

And I also note some sightseeing I was able to do, the Doric House which the first British Governor, Frederick North, had built at Arippu near to the pearl fisheries which were a great source of wealth then for government.

I start with pictures of the Doric House though taken at a later date, before adding the sensible Muslim Minister Mr Athaullah and the idealistic Jeremy Liyanage.

Efforts at structural change

My primary school building was opened on the 1st of Ocober and then on the 2nd I met Mr Athaullah, the relatively positive Minister of Local Government regarding reforms for he had asked me to advise regarding amendments to the act. The following day, after a meeting with Yves Giovannoni of the ICRC I went up to Vavuniya for meetings the next day at Thunukkai in Mullaitivu and then in Kandaveli in Killinochchi. After that night too at the Thampa I went to Mannar for breakfast with Maithri Dias and the new Vavuniya Commander Boniface Fernando, to whom Maithri reported, before seeing Sarath Ravindra and the Mannar Town Division meeting.

From there I went to Musali, but on the way visited Arippu fort and the house the first British Governor of Ceylon, Frederick North, had built for himself. It was designed as a Doric building and its beautiful lines are still apparent though it is in ruins. In Musali it seemed to me that a reasonable compromise had been reached about the land the navy wanted and access to the sea for fishermen, and in general resettlement seemed to have gone well – though the Muslim population were as critical as the Tamils had been about Rishard Bathiudeen, whose grants of land they claimed had not been for the most needy.

Amongst meetings that month before my next visit North was one with the Army Education Corps, but the officer who saw me, though very nice, Brigadier Nugera, did not seem energetic and indeed nothing came of that effort. I also saw Jeremy Liyanage, a youngster from Australia who had come to Sri Lanka after the war ended, keen to help. I had told him it was best to pick one small area and devote any resources to that, and I had suggested Mannar because I knew it would be comparatively neglected – the Wanni which had obviously suffered in the war would command support but there would also be lots to Jaffna because of the clout its people and politicians, and its diaspora, commanded.

Jeremy had developed excellent contacts in the area and worked very well with the officials, in particular Mrs de Mel. He would drop in on me at intervals to report, and to ask for support if needed, and usually this was easy to provide since I was able usually to overcome the suspicions of officials about a foreign national.