ICT Body refused Visa
By Bala Shah

LIRNEasia describes itself as a regional information and communication technology (ICT) policy and regulation capacity-building organization active across the Asia Pacific.  Put simply, it is a think tank and research body which strives to improve the lives of the people in the Asia Pacific

A number of high profile and respected Indians contribute to the not for profit LIRNEasia.  It’s finding on landlines, mobile phones, satellite communication, practical tech solutions for the rural sector are regularly quoted by our national newspapers. Currently, the majority of LIRNEasia’s programs are funded by the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC). LIRNEasia’s work has also been funded by info Dev, a World Bank unit that has partnered with LIRNE.NET since 2001 in the World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies.

In theory and in practice, Sri Lanka-based LIRNEasia is an international non-profit, idealistic venture where many highly qualified telecom and tech experts volunteer their time and energy.  It has avoided politics in all shapes or form.

LIRNEasia told its membership on Jan 15 how the Sri Lankan Government had refused a Visa to a Canadian journalist to attend the LIRNEasia@5 conference because his newspaper refused to change the way it reported what was going on

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Last year, before the LIRNEasia@5 conference that brought close to a 100 people from abroad to Sri Lanka and allowed them to see with their own eyes that there was no blood letting going on, I invited some Canadian journalists to come by and cover some positive stories for a change. I was then informed by the Toronto Star correspondent that he would be glad to come but that the Consulate in Toronto was refusing to issue him a visa until the Star changed its attitude toward Sri Lanka.

Zimbabwe has tried this method for years and all they get is negative coverage. Recently, an intelligent consular official gave a visa to Vikas Bajaj from the New York Times and the result was a wonderful story about a Sri Lankan success in niche marketing. Should I try again to see if the stupid official in Toronto has seen the light? Or is this still a case of Sri Lanka withdrawing from the world?
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