The Hindu : An Oscar touch to peace talks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 17, 2003

International

International

An Oscar touch to peace talks

By V. S. Sambandan

COLOMBO. APRIL 16. The Sri Lankan peace process today got a touch of Hollywood, with

The Oscar-award winning actress, Angelina Jolie, promising a personal grant of $ 10,000 to help reconstruct a paediatric hospital in Velvattithurai.

"I have a lot of hope for this country'' Ms. Jolie, the goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR, told journalists here today after a visit to the northern Jaffna peninsula.

In what has turned out to be "an amazing trip'' Ms. Jolie said she was particularly moved by the dedication of a doctor who went about his task with the assistance of five nurses in taking care of a hospital in the battle-scarred northern peninsula.

In addition to the grant for the hospital, the northern town from which the LTTE leader, V. Prabakaran hails, Ms. Jolie said she was offering all her assistance to strengthen the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.

Highlighting the plight of victims of sexual and gender-based violence as well as child soldiers, the Oscar winner for the best supporting actress said: "without basic human rights, nothing else matters''.

Among the several conversations she had with the people in the north and east, Ms. Jolie made special mention of the plight faced by the Muslims in the north, who had to move out of the Peninsula with barely a few hours' notice during the early days of the conflict.

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