There are numerous army camps set up all over NE Tamil provinces! We want Sinhala Army to be confined to barracks ensuring Normalcy for Tamil people!!

Tamil, Muslim parties push for political solution

By Kelum Bandara

The Tamil and Muslim parties which met in Switzerland have agreed to push for a political solution to the national question that goes beyond the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

The meeting had been arranged by the Tamil Information Centre, the International Working Group on Sri Lanka which is based in Britain and the Initiate on the Prevention of Conflicts through Quite Diplomacy. It had been facilitated by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

In addition to the TNA representatives, EPDP leader and Minister Douglas Devananda, Eastern Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, All Ceylon Muslim Congress National Organizer A.L.M. Hizbullah and CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman participated in the meeting as representatives of the Tamil and Muslim parties that had switched allegiance to the government.

Besides, the SLMC, the Western People’s Front, the PLOTE, the TULF, and the EPRLF (Pathmanabha Group) made representations to it.

TNA MP Suresh Premachandran who participated in this meeting told the Daily Mirror that the parties representing the Tamil, the Tamils of Indian origin and the Muslims discussed issues confronting their people.

“We agreed that we should push for a solution which involves devolution of power beyond the 13th Amendment,” he said.

The meeting was held from November 19 to 22 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Mr. Premachandran said the representatives expressed their full commitment to unity and to a common forum to seek a just and durable political solution.

Citing the joint statement issued after the meeting, he said, “Among the issues discussed were shared concerns of the long, medium and short-term. These included an in-depth discussion on the evolution of an acceptable, inclusive political solution to the conflict. Also discussed were principles for and solutions to urgent matters such as the situation of internally displaced persons, Muslim IDPs, detainees and the disappeared, demilitarisation and the rule of law. Also discussed was the urgent need for the facilitation of voluntary return of all internally displaced persons to their homes and land in conditions of safety and dignity, and to expeditiously provide for their housing and livelihood requirements under competent and independent civilian supervision.

Asked why there was a need for demilitarization in Sri Lanka when the LTTE was no longer a factor, he said thousands of military personnel still occupied parts of the Northern and Eastern Provinces despite the lapse of six months after the conclusion of the war.

“Have you gone to Jaffna? Have you gone to Vavuniya? There are numerous army camps set up all over these two provinces.

In Jaffna alone, there are around 40,000 military personnel. We want them to be confined to barracks ensuring normalcy for people. Those in Colombo or Anuradhapura do not know this problem,” he said.

DAILYMIRROR.LK