Padmanabha faction welcomes:

Relaxation of Police registration

M.P. Muttiah

EPRLF (Padmanabha) faction leader T. Sritharan has welcomed the Government's decision to relax police registration. He said this was a welcome sign and a great relief to Tamils. Tamils who earlier came to Colombo from other areas had to register themselves at Police stations. This system was a barrier to people. Plantation youths suffered most as they come to Colombo for employment.

When Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP visited Hatton to attend the General Assembly of the Upcountry People's Front a request was made to him to do away with the police registration.

On his initiative the police has relaxed the registration.

Sritharan added that this system isolated Tamils from national life.

He welcomed the resettlement process in the High Security Zones in the North. The security of these families and assistance to live a normal life should be ensured. Special attention should be paid to the education of children of the IDP families.

People were not allowed to enter areas where these zones located for security reasons since 1996. Jaffna Government Agent K. Ganesh had said nearly 375 families have been identified for resettlement in these zones.

The EPRLF leader stressed that people to people contact should be accelerated. Referring to his visit to Mannar two days ago he said there was a difference in the life.

He said even shops were kept open at 3.a.m. Buses were plying from Mannar to Jaffna.

He said that he was happy to see the free movement of people.

Ceylon Worker's Congress Colombo District Chief Organizer M. Ravichandran thanked President Mahinda Rajapaksa for relaxing the police registration. This had considerably reduced the immense difficulties people underwent in the past. Those who came to Colombo had to spent hours at the Police stations. President's steps have brought great relief, he added.