Minister stresses need to implement Official Language Policy

Rasika Somarathna

Welcoming President Mahinda Rajapaksa's brief statement in Tamil during his speech at the UN General Assembly, Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe underscored the need for focused attention on the implementation of Sri Lanka's official language policy founded on chapter four of the 1978 Constitution which accords full parity status to both Sinhala and Tamil.

The Minister speaking at the conclusion of an international forum, convened to find durable solutions for protracted displacement due to the conflict on Thursday, emphasised the need to re-focus in implementing the policy to the full.

"Rights in the Constitution must be respected and realised not only by words but also by deeds," the Minister said addressing diplomatic corp, UN agency heads, NGO, INGO members and local stakeholders participating in the deliberations in Colombo.

While describing the President's speech as a very strong signal to the people of the North and the East which re-emphasised that Tamil was an official language since 1987-used and respected by the head of State, the Minister stressed that the gesture was indicative of the President's deep commitment in guaranteeing equal status for both Sinhala and Tamil.

"The President's action arguably is the first time that Tamil was used by a Head of State in addressing the UNGA, makes it clear that we are a Government committed to promoting and nurturing diversity", he added.

The three day National Consultation on the status of protracted IDP's in Sri Lanka within the framework for durable solutions ended on a successful note.

The National Consultation was co-organised by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights along with the UNHCR in Sri Lanka, with the keynote speaker and principle resource person being Prof. Walter Kaelin, Representative of the UN Secretary General on the Human Rights of IDPs.

The Consultation is expected to act as a percusor to a proposed National Plan of Action on the question of resolving protracted displacement.