The leader of the Tamil National Alliance condemned the new Sir Lankan government’s failure to release all Tamil lands and called for the immediate release of lands held by military in the North-East in parliament on Monday.
Highlighting that the Tamil victim community were yet to see tangible change, despite voting in the new government, Mr R Sampanthan said,
“The most affected people, the people most affected by injustice, inequality and violent conflict, the Tamil people of the North and the East, not merely made a very substantial and significant contribution towards the achievement of this change, but did so with certain definite expectations. They expected justice, equality, restoration of their lives and contentment. They expected conditions to be created for genuine reconciliation. But seven years after the conflict came to an end, seventeen months after a new President was elected, nine months after a new Government was elected, they remain a discontented people. In that context, reconciliation in the proper sense is not yet visible.”
The Tamil National Leader, went on to condemn the failure to release Tamil political prisoners and repeal the draconian prevention for terrorism act.
In a parliamentary adjournment motion, R Sampanthan “urged that all lands possessed or held by the military in the North and the East be immediately returned to the civilians, entitled to same; that a structured programme be implemented urgently to enable the displaced and affected people to meaningfully rebuild and recommence their lives; and that immediate action be taken to reverse, rectify and redress the several actions that have adverse political, economic, social and cultural consequences to the Tamil people and thereby impedes genuine meaningful reconciliation, and the evolution of permanent peace in the country on the basis of justice and equality.”
Add Comments
