Sri Lankas Minority Outreach Holds Risks Before VoteColombos contentious move to gain suort among !amil diasora stands to hurt governments suort among Sinhalese" recently resettled !amil #oman this #eek #alked on land the government released back to its o#ners in "ril in the remote Sri Lankan village of !hilliali$ PHOTO: BUDDHIKA WEERASINGHE/GETTY IMAGESBy UDITHA JAYASINGHE-"ug$ %&' &(%)COLOMBO' Sri Lanka*Sri Lankas government has been reaching out to thecountrys in+uential !amil diasora #ith the aim of building minority suortand boosting its international standing$ But the contentious strategy holds risks for the governments survival ahead of arliamentary elections ne,t #eek$!he ruling coalition led by -resident Maithriala Sirisena*#hich took o.ce after his redecessor' Mahinda Ra/aaksa' #as voted out of o.ce in 0anuary*is in the di.cult osition of trying to romote reconciliation #ith the countrys !amils and other minorities #ithout alienating so many Sinhalese Buddhists that it loses the election$1f Colombo doesnt go far enough to sho# it is inclusive' it could lose minority votes and suort from !amils abroad' #hose suort is crucial for any government that #ants to better integrate !amils into Sri Lankan olitics$But oonents of the outreach*including Mr$ Ra/aaksa' #ho is trying to stage a comeback at the olls*have accused the government of #eakness and said the country is at risk of sliding back into the violence and terrorismthat characteri2ed its decadeslong civil #ar$" recent ublic3oinion survey by the nonro4t Centre for -olicy "lternatives in Colombo found that Sinhalese Buddhists' the countrys main religious grou' #ere slit on #hether they favored Mr$ Ra/aaksa 56789 or his rival' Ranil :ickremesinghe 56%$;89*#ho is aligned #ith the resident*as the ne,t rime minister$Minorities strongly favored Mr$ :ickremesinghe$ !he survey of more nearly &'((( eole had a margin of samling error of t#o ercentage oints$Mr$ Ra/aaksas government defeated !amil searatist insurgents in &((;$ "