Sri Lankan government concerned over safety of its workers in Lebanon

Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau says that the government is considering to suspend sending Sri Lankan workers to Lebanon due to the deteriorating security situation as violence escalates in certain parts of that country.
Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Lebanon Ranjith Gunaratne says clashes between groups have erupted in Northern Lebanon where around 10,000 Sri Lankans are employed. Clashes have erupted between pro-Syrian and anti-Syrian elements in Lebanon, the Embassy says. However, the Ambassador said that no Sri Lankan has been affected by the violence so far. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa also has raised the issue with Lebanese President General Michel Suleiman during a meeting with him on the sidelines of the 16th NAM summit in Teheran. The meeting has focused special attention on Sri Lankan domestic workers in Lebanon and the President has asked his Lebanese counterpart to provide maximum welfare assistance to the Sri Lankan workers in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Embassy is monitoring the situation and is ready to facilitate the Sri Lankans in case of an emergency, the Ambassador said. Nearly 100,000 Sri Lankans are employed in Lebanon, mainly as housemaids.