Religious dignitaries also express support:

Jaffna academics commend peace moves

BY E. Weerapperuma, Ananth Palakidnar and Rajmi Manatunga

RELIGIOUS leaders from the North and the South and the Jaffna University community yesterday expressed their wholehearted support to the new peace endeavours.

The Jaffna University academic staff and students are overwhelmed by the consensus reached between the Government of Mahinda Rajapakse and the LTTE leadership on talks on stabilising the Ceasefire Agreement in Geneva next month, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna Professor Subramaniam Mohanadas told the Daily News.

Prof Mohanadas said they were delighted to note that at last the Government and the LTTE have agreed to sit and talk about their differences with regard to the Ceasefire Agreement.

"The Jaffna University Community which comprises the academic circle and students are extremely happy about the resumption of talks on stabilising the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) which is in dire straits.

Even the university community in Jaffna was affected due to the escalation of violence in the North. Therefore the consensus reached between the Rajapakse government and the LTTE is praiseworthy," the Vice Chancellor said.

Prof. Mohanadas said the resumption of talks on the CFA was a positive approach towards making peace.

"As a member of the Jaffna University Community we expect the talks to continue with greater understanding between the parties to the conflict," he said.

"The talks on the CFA should lead towards a durable settlement to the overall crisis of the North and East. We see the resumption of talks on CFA as a golden opportunity as well as the last chance to establish peace in the North and East.

All political parties must rise above their petty differences and support the peace efforts. Peace with dignity for all is what we want," Prof. Mohanadas added.

Commending the determination of the Rajapakse Administration to usher in peace, Ven. Prof. Bellanwila Wimalarathana Thera observed that the country had to face many obstacles in holding talks between the Government and the LTTE.

"The country had to face many problems owing to the deadlock in talks between the Government and the LTTE. Many civilians and Army personnel were attacked. As a result, the Government had to face criticism from many quarters," the Thera said.

The Thera recalled that before the Presidential Election, certain people had said that the war could resume if President Rajapakse was elected.

But after taking office, the President convened an All Party Conference and gave the opportunity to all political parties express their views regarding the peace process. Now the Government is ready to resume talks with the consensus of other political parties.

"In my view, it is better to resume talks at a venue agreed upon by both parties than keep postponing talks by arguing on the issue of the venue. It is the responsibility of all democratic political parties to support the Government's peace effort," the Ven. Thera stressed.

"We welcome whole-heartedly the agreement of the two parties in selecting Geneva as the venue to start peace-talks stalled for many months," Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph told the Daily News.

"President Mahinda Rajapakse is a practical man. He is open to the truth. What we read in the press and hear over media channels is mostly the falsehood or twisted views. If we keep on arguing, based on falsehoods we will not go anywhere.

Such actions will further deteriorate the situation and will be detrimental to the interest of the country. It is the truth that we must embrace as the truth will lead us to freedom and peace," His Lordship added.

The Mannar Bishop also said that he really appreciated what the President had said the other day. "If they (the LTTE) trust us we will trust them". This manifests his sincerity and pragmatic approach to the issue faced by the people of this country.

His Lordship in a letter sent on January 23 to President Rajapakse said that `making peace was ultimately the work of the people of this country.

Peace making is ultimately the work of the people of this country and the political leaders only carry out the mandate given to them by the same people to usher in peace as their topmost priority.

The letter appreciating the great efforts of the President towards ensuring the support of all political parties to bring back peace to the country, his Lordship has pointed out that `keeping to the terms of the CFA by the two parties was the need of the hour'.