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By Ariyaratne Ganegoda

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Thursday that the UNP Government will never take any action detrimental to the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.He gave this assurance when he called on the Most Ven. Agga Maha Pandita Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayake Thera of the Amarapura Sri Dhammarakshita Maha Nikaya at the Siri Vajiragnana Dharmayatanaya, Maharagama to receive his blessings.

The Prime Minister who emphasised that the UNF Government would never accept the homeland concept said the LTTE had never requested him to accept the homeland concept either.

On this occasion the Ven. Pannasiha handed over to the Prime Minister a memorandum regarding the proposed peace talks and de-proscription of the LTTE.

Ven. Pannasiha in his memorandum stated that the LTTE had declared that its proscription should be lifted and the homeland concept accepted as a pre condition for entering peace talks.

Ven. Pannasiha stated that on many occasions he had clearly stated that the homeland concept is a historical misconception.

The Mahanayake Thera further stated in his Memorandum that he can never approve a deproscription of the LTTE as such a step would lead to a grave national and international crisis.

The Prime Minister expressing his government's views on the matters raised in the memorandum said people of all communities including Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims are living in the North and East. People living within the country's entire land area of 25,000 square miles are considered as citizens of this country.

All the people living within that 25,000 square miles have equal rights in obtaining state services including educiaotn, health and administrative services.

The Prime Minister said the UNF in keeping with its election pledge has provided opportunities for the people of the North and East to obtain goods needed for their daily life including essential food and other consumer items easily through the Norwegian Government, steps are now being taken to transform the unilateral cessation of hostilities announced by the Government and the LTTE to a fully structured joint cessation of hostilities.

The Prime Minister continued, "We have never accepted the homeland concept. Our stand is that Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims are living in the North and East. This stand has been included even in the Indo-Lanka accord. Therefore the homeland concept will never be accepted. No request pertaining to the homeland concept has been made to us so fare either. We have always clearly expressed our stand on this issue.

The government will take all steps necessary to protect and nurture any language or religion in terms of the constitution.

"Various countries in the world have expressed their views on the LTTE proscription. Sri Lanka will not stand to lose anything internationally by entering peace talks". We have to consider this factor too. What we can do is to amend the regulations, regarding the ban. It will not mean a total lifting of the regulations.

The Prime Minister said, "The USA and the UK have already stated that they would never lift the LTTE proscription. They have said if they were to lift the ban the LTTE would have to publicly renounce all forms of violence altogether and they would wait for a period of time, quite a decent interval during which they would monitor to see whether words would be matched by deeds following such a declaration, to lift the ban. I personally feel that the stand taken by almost all the countries are beneficial to us."

The Prime Minister said all necessary steps would be taken after discussions with the Maha Sangha and all parties.

The Navy has been entrusted with the task of protecting the seas. The ceasefire is operational only inside the land area.

Ven. Pannasiha requested the Prime Minister to create settlements in selected jungle land in the North-East and settle people in them according to the communal ratio after providing tube wells to ensure them their water supply. The Prime Minister said he would look into this matter.

Earlier Ven. Tirikunamalaye Ananda Thera read out Ven. Pannasiha's memorandum. Justice, Law Reform, National Integration and Buddhasasana Minister W.J.M. Lokubandara also spoke.

Earlier the Maha Sangha led by Ven. Pannasiha chanted Seth Pirith and invoked blessings on the Prime Minister and his delegation. The Prime Minister and the members of his delegation also offered 'Ata pirikara' to the Maha Sangha.

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