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| Saturday, 6 December 2003 |
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R. Sampanthan, Secretary General of the TULF, G. Ponnambalam, Assistant Secretary of the ACTC, A. Achutanandan, President TELO and S. Pemachandran, Secretary General of the EPRLF in a joint statement say that credentials of Lakshman Kadirgamar to be the Secretary General of the Commonwealth are highly questionable and the minority have reason to be gravely concerned. The statement which expressed serious reservation on Kadirgamar's candidature said: "The people of Sri Lanka should normally welcome the election of a candidate nominated by Sri Lanka to the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth. Sri Lanka has been ridden with an internal conflict since the country attained independence and in the past two decades, the conflict has assumed serious proportions. Over 100,000 people have been killed and there has been much devastation and destruction. The Tamil people have in the main, been the victims. Sri Lanka has grievously suffered in consequence there of. The person holding the position of the Secretary General of the Commonwealth should promote goodwill and harmony between people and between States and should have proven ability to promote reconciliation between parties in conflict. Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, MP former Minister of Foreign Affairs is said to be an aspirant to the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth. An objective examination of the role of Lakshman Kadirgamar in regard to the internal conflict in Sri Lanka would clearly show that he has not been ever-handed in his official conduct. Particular reference may be made to the following two incidents: The bombing by Government forces of the Church at Navaly, Jaffna and the bombing by Government forces of the school at Nagarkovil, Jaffna, resulting in the deaths of several hundreds of Tamil Civilians including children. Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar's representations on behalf of the Government about these incidents were contradictory to the position taken by international organisations, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar's misrepresentations in regard to incidents, which constituted a flagrant violation of human rights, are a severe indictment on his capacity to be impartial and truthful. While vigorously espousing the case of the Sri Lankan Government, he has lacked the integrity and the courage to speak honestly about the root causes of the conflict, and the legitimate aspirations of the minority Tamil people. In this regard, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar's performance has been dismal compared to that of several other personalities, who have taken an interest in the resolution of the conflict in Sri Lanka. The credentials of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar to be Secretary General of the Commonwealth, in this background, be highly questionable, and minority peoples, have reason to the gravely concerned. We consider it necessary that there should be public awareness of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar's negative role in the resolution of the internal conflict in Sri Lanka". |
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