Prelates willing to grant reasonable rights of N-E Tamils, says Dew

by L. B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

The Most Ven. Mahanayake Theras of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Maha Vihara chapters have expressed willingness to grant reasonable and legitimate rights of Tamils in the North and East, said Constitutional Reforms and National Integration Minister D. E. W. Gunasekera.

The prelates agreeing to this could be treated as having solved 50 per cent of the Government's efforts to find a solution to the ethnic issue, Gunasekera told the opening of the 'Peace Brigade - Inter Provincial Investment and Trade Exhibition 2005' at Queens Hotel, Kandy.

The Minister said, President Mahinda Rajapakse had instructed him to consult religious dignitaries in the South and all political parties on feasibilities of ending the war and achieving honourable peace acceptable to all.

Gunasekera said he first consulted the Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter and Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkhitha Ratanapala Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Maha Vihara Chapter.

The Minister said he had talks with them in Kandy and the Mahanayake Theras agreed that all legitimate and reasonable rights of Tamils in the North and East should be granted to find a solution to the ethnic conflict.

The prelates agreeing to that could be treated as having completed 50 per cent of the government's efforts to find a solution to the ethnic issue. It was a significant victory. Political parties and their leaders must be consulted their views and approval must be obtained now.