Ex-LTTE cadres on friendship tour to South
Mahinda P Liyanage, Galle Daily News correspondent
Three hundred and seventy one Tamil youths on a Friendship Tour from
the North to the South organised by the Bureau of the Commissioner
General of Rehabilitation of Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms arrived
in Galle on Saturday.
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Galle Heritage Foundation chairman
Parakrama Dahanyake addresses the Tamil youths at the
reception |
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The Tamil youths walking along the
ramparts of the historic Dutch Fortress. Picture by Mahinda
P.Liyanage – Galle Daily News correspondent |
On arrival in Galle, they were received by a group of Provincial
Council members led by Southern Province Chief Minister Shan Wijayalal
de Silva. They visited the Sivan Kovil in Kaluwella, Galle where the
group participated in a special pooja administered by the high priest of
the Hindu Kovil Rev Krishna Moorthi Kurakka.
The group of Tamils youths who were former LTTE cadres are being
rehabilitated by the Bureau of Commissioner General of Rehabilitation
following a court order.
They later visited the Historical Dutch Fortress, a world heritage
site, where they visited a number of places of importance within the
ancient citadel.
They were accorded a warm welcome by Galle Heritage Foundation
officials on arrival to the Galle Fort.
Galle Heritage Foundation chairman Parakrama Dahanayake addressing
the Northern youths gave a brief account on the historical back ground
of the Galle World Heritage Site.
Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brigadier Dharshana
Hettiarachchi who accompanied the group told the media that the
objective of the Friendship Tour was to dispel wrong beliefs and
assumptions entertained by Tamil youths regarding the Sinhala community
in the South.
He said for years, they had been misled by the LTTE and had advocated
hatred against other communities in the country to achieve their
terrorist objectives.
“They had been taught that the Sinhala people were a barbarous ethnic
group born to destroy Tamils. However, during this trip they were able
to learn how hospitable and fraternal the people of South are and they
were able to witness for themselves the way Tamils in the South move
with other communities in peace and harmony,” he said.
The Brigadier said the bureau had rehabilitated 11,500 such Tamil
youths who at present had successfully linked up with the democratic
social fabric of the country.
He said the present group would also be released to society after
another one year of rehabilitation.
The friendship tour ends today after the youths visiting Kataragama
Grand Kovil, Kiri Vehera and Sella Kataragama. They stayed in Deniyaya
on Saturday night.
Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera
together with ministry officials accompanied the Northern youths.
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