Peace in North in few days

Uditha KUMARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka told Parliament yesterday that the Government will restore peace by eradicating terrorism in the Northern Province within the next few days.

“We have wiped out terrorism from most parts of the country,” the Prime Minister said.

“With the liberation of the entire Northern Province from the LTTE in the next few days, we will be able to completely eliminate terrorism from the entire country,” he said.

Participating in the second reading stage debate of the Widows’, Widowers’ and Orphans’ Pension Scheme (Armed Forces) (Amendment) Bill, the Premier said the Armed Forces have already confined the LTTE to 23 to 24 square kilometres in the North.

“Once the war is over, democracy will be established in the North and Northerners will be able to elect representatives of their choice to the Local Councils as well as Provincial Council,” he said.

“People in the North have the democratic right to elect their own representatives. We welcome this and will create an environment conducive for this,” the Premier said.

“It is sad that the LTTE is attacking civilians fleeing LTTE held areas to Government controlled areas. Though some people and various organisations are talking about human rights violations, they cannot see the brutal killings and abductions of innocent civilians by the LTTE,” Prime Minister Wickramanayaka said.

“It is a severe violation of human rights. Why aren’t they talking of these incidents?” the Premier queried.

Participating in the debate, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said any person who becomes a member of the Regular Force, Regular Reserve, Volunteer Force or Volunteer Reserve of the Armed Forces will be entitled to the pension scheme through the amendments of both Widowers’ and Orphans’ Pension Scheme (Armed Forces) (Amendment) Bill and the Widow’s and Orphans’ Pension Scheme (Armed Forces) (Amendment) Bill.