An Appeal from FOSUS

To All Sri Lankan Expatriates and Friends of Sri Lanka in the U.S.

Sri Lanka, known for its pleasant environment as Serendipity to early travelers, is struggling for its very survival today. Its peace is being shattered by a deadly terrorism. Young people from modest Sri Lankan homes have joined the defense forces of the country, and are laying their lives on the line in order to stem the onslaught of terrorism at its very roots in the villages and the jungles of the North and the East. In this campaign against terrorism, casualties among our security forces are indeed very high. Injuries sustained in land mines, anti-personal mines, ambushes, and other terrorist brutalities are gruesome. It is on behalf of these heroic people that we send this appeal.

The National Defense Fund (NDF) has been set up with the express purpose of bringing relief to security forces personnel injured and maimed at the front lines, and to help their poor families cope with such tragedies. The NDF provides much needed funds to equip veterans' hospitals, to set up rehabilitation centers, and to make available numerous other humanitarian services in order to bring a degree of relief and comfort to our fallen heroes. During the six years from 1989 to 1995, the NDF has granted Rs. 240 M (US $ 4.8 M) in relief aid to injured security forces personnel in the form of prosthesis and wheel chairs, medical treatment, medical equipment, construction of an operating theaters, purchase of insurance coverage and other financial assistance to families. The accounts of the fund are audited by the Auditor General every year.

This is an appeal to all Sri Lankans and friends of Sri Lanka living in the U.S. to make a small gesture pledging a modest sum of money as your contribution towards this worthy cause that the NDF has set out to accomplish. Please make it your Independence Day resolution (February 4) to pledge $5.00 to 10.00 per month for the next 12 months to the NDF. Let us join hands to help eliminate terrorism and bring peace to Sri Lanka.

To make your task easier we enclose a pledge sheet which you may use when you send your contribution to the NDF. Please make all checks payable to the "National Defense Fund of Sri Lanka." You may mail the pledge and your contribution to the Sri Lankan Embassy in the U.S., or to the National Defense Fund of which addresses are given below. Please note that all contributions to the NDF are acknowledged by the Embassy/National Defense Fund. Please send copies of this appeal and the pledge form to Sri Lankans and friends of Sri Lanka living in the U.S.

Sponsored by:
Friends of Sri Lanka in the U.S. (FOSUS)
P.O. Box 2545, Kensington, MD 20891-2545
e-mail: "FOSUS@hotmail.com"
web: "https://members.tripod.com/~FOSUS"

National Defense Fund
Embassy of Sri Lanka
2148, Wyoming Ave NW
Washington DC 20008

Secretary, National Defense Fund
Ministry of Defence
No. 15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha
Colombo 3, Sri Lanka

A Pledge to the National Defence Fund of Sri Lanka

I would like to pledge U.S. $ . . . . . . . monthly to the National Defence Fund (NDF) of Sri Lanka for the twelve months begining from February 1997 to January 1998. I believe that my contribution to the NDF would help eliminate terrorism and establish peace in Sri Lanka.

Date: . . . . . . . . . . .

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Street: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apt. No.: . . . . . . . . . .

City: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . State: . . .Zip: . . . . . . . . . ....