|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Wednesday, 11 August 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Politics | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
| Peace Secretariat Chief Jayantha Dhanapala says : President fully committed to take positive measures to resume peace talks Jaffna Special Correspondent "I have come to find out the ground situation in Jaffna regarding the promotion of peace and the possible contributions the people of Jaffna could put forward to take a forward march in the peace negotiations. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga is fully committed to take positive measures to resume peace talks. There is honesty and sincerity in her words and deeds. It was the President who initiated the peace talks. It was she who sincerely believed that the Tamils do have genuine grievances. She had openly vindicated her sincerity in finding a solution to the ethnic problem when she openly expressed her remorse and tendered an apology to the Tamils of this land for the racial holocaust that shook the country. She was the only leader who came forward boldly and daringly to bear the cross on her shoulders," said Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala, Peace Secretariat Director. He was addressing the members and officials of the Jaffna District Consortium of Non Governmental Organisations in Jaffna. V. Srisakthivel, President of the Consortium presided. Dr. Dhanapala further said that the President is getting fresh proposals drafted as an alternate proposal to the ISGA submitted by the LTTE. For this purpose an advisory committee will be formed to prepare the draft proposals. This committee will find out all shades of opinion before drafting their proposals. He said that if the proposals find favour with the LTTE a number of foreign countries would lend hands to implement our development schemes. He decried that some international organisations instead of implementing schemes that are people oriented and humanitarian trying to foist the schemes they had brought from their countries. He had discussions with the Jaffna Government Agent the Bishop of Jaffna and the Vice Chancellor of Jaffna University regarding the ways and means of taking forward the peace process. He also visited the office of the SLMM in Nallur and acquainted with activities of the SLMM in maintaining ceasefire. He said that peace and communal concord could be fostered only through mutual trust and confidence between the LTTE and the Forces. Jaffna takes the second place in the violation of ceasefire agreement. All should cooperate and put a stop to ceasefire violations. This could be done only by bringing both the LTTE and the Government to the negotiating table and arriving at decisions in a spirit of mutual understanding. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
