TMVP disarms tomorrow

Rafik JALALDEEN

The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) officially announced that it will lay down its arms tomorrow in order to strengthen law and order in the East.

TMVP spokesman Asath Moulana said that party had decided at a senior party members meeting headed by the Eastern Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan to hand over all its arms to the Government.

"The TMVP is scheduled to hand over the arms on Saturday at chief Minister Chandrakanthan's office in the presence of TMVP Political Bureau members, senior TMVP leaders, its cadres and the public", he added.

He said the party's decision to hand over the arms was to support the Security Forces and police to maintain law and order in the East.

Moulana asserted that the Armed Wing of the TMVP will be rehabilitated and offered domestic and foreign job opportunities. "We have discussed the future of the TMVP Armes Unit with the Defence Ministry and International Organisation for Migration (IOM). After vocational training, these cadres will be financed for self employment or provided with foreign employment in accordance with their wishes", he said.

Those TMVP cadres interested in joining the Security Forces and police would be given a clance to do so. "We discussed with Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaska on enlisting the TMVP cadres to the Security Forces and police. All the measures will be taken to enroll the TMVP cadres who interested serving in the Security Forces and police", Moulana said. However, he said then number was not decided yet.

Moulana reiterated that since the LTTE was defeated and the out-fit will be wiped out from the country, there is no threat to the TMVP.