President meets Tamil MPs to allay fears in N-E
President Mahinda Rajapaksa met with a delegation of six Tamil
Members of Parliament from the North and East to discuss arrangements
for the resolution of matters resulting from recent alleged incidents in
the two provinces.
The Tamil representatives at the meeting held at Temple Trees were
from the TNA, TULF and PLOTE.
An understanding was reached on the necessity for cooperation between
the Police and organizations of the people on the concerned areas, with
a view to the speedy removal of fears and doubts among the people.
UPFA Secretary General Minister Susil Premjayanth, who visited Jaffna
at the request of the President to study and report of the current
situation, said that at the meeting with the Governor of the North,
senior military and police officers, administrators, members of the
clergy, local politicians, and members of civil society, there was an
agreement reached for resolving the issues through committees at three
tiers. One would comprise the Governor, senior administrators, police,
and security forces officers, members of the clergy, academics, and
politicians. The other would be at the Divisional Secretary level with
the participation of local politicians, and the third would be at the
Grama Niladhari level with the participation of the people. The members
of the Tamil political parties were invited to participate in these
committees.
It was he overall consensus at the meeting that the situation was
fast returning to normal, with agreement to pursue all initiatives for
further understanding on the need for unity and the assurance of peace.
All steps would be taken to remove any hardships caused to people from
these alleged incidents.
In his summing up, President Rajapaksa said that Tamil people had
been the worst affected by the 30 year armed conflict.
The rich Tamil culture and traditions had been destroyed, and what is
needed now is to ensure that Tamil people were given the opportunity to
have a new beginning to restore their culture and live according to
their cherished values.
The government would take every measure to see that unity was built,
he said, urging the Tamil political parties to also join in this effort
to help the Tamil people and the country.
The Tamil MPs present were V Anandasangaree (TULF), D Siddharthan (PLOTE),
and Suresh Premachandra, P Selvarajah, Sumanthiran and Saravanabhavan (TNA).
Associated with the President were Miniters Basil Rajapaksa and Susil
Premjayanth, Secretary to President Lalith Weeratunga and IGP N
Illangakone. |