Image courtesy of Tamil Guardian.
Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna and its presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa have rejected the demands submitted by five major Tamil parties to prsidential candidates, reports pro Rajapaksa web site lankaeyewitness, Calling the demands as an Eelamist proposal, It further says that Gotabaya Rajapaksa will only adhere to 13th amendment.
Sajith Premadasa, the other front runner in the presidential election has not make his opinion public but informed sources say that it is almost impossible for him to agree the those demands.
These demands were submitted to the Sri Lanka’s major Presidential candidates for response in order to decide Tamil’s position in the upcoming Presidential election. This initiative was coordinated by Tamil University Students.
The key demands include:
1) Reject Unitary State in the new Constitution and establish a Federal State for Tamils.
2) Refer Sri Lanka to International Criminal Court (ICC) or to a specially created International Criminal Tribunal for Sri Lanka, for the War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide Committed against Tamil People.
3) Sri Lankan Security Forces should vacate all the lands they occupied since the war started and the lands be returned to the rightful owners.
4) Stop Government sponsored /assisted Sinhalese colorizations from Northern and Eastern Provinces.
5) Repeal Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
6) Unconditionally Release all Tamil political Prisoners.
7) Create an International Mechanism to address the issue of the Disappeared Tamils.
** Steps should be taken to find solution for these demands within three months of assuming the post of President **
Signatories are: Tamil National Alliance (TNA) led by former leader of the opposition R. Sampanthan, Tamizh Makkal Kootani (TMK) led by former Northern Province Council Chief Minister Justice C.V. Wignesaran, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE).
With the inputs from EINNEWS