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| MP Anura kumara |
“The so called All Party Committee headed by Prof. Tissa Vitarana had, after 127 sittings, produced a 11,000-odd page report, but there without a solution, he said. This time, too, the government was not concerned about the real issues of Tamil people living in the North and East, “
June 29, 2011/ By Saman Indrajith
The JVP yesterday said it would boycott sittings of the special Parliamentary Select Committee, proposed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to find a political solution to the problems faced by the Tamil people.
JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, addressing a press conference at the Party Head office in Pelawatte, said that his party was ready to cooperate with the government if it was genuinely keen on addressing all lingering problems and issues of the Tamil people without opting for dilatory tactics.
He said that the even after two years had passed since the conclusion of the war, the government seemed wanting more time to address and solve the problems of Tamil people.
The so called All Party Committee headed by Prof. Tissa Vitarana had, after 127 sittings, produced a 11,000-odd page report, but there without a solution, he said. This time, too, the government was not concerned about the real issues of Tamil people living in the North and East, he said.
“They want many other things but no constitutional gimmicks. They want to know whether their missing relatives are living or dead. They want their kith and kin, languishing behind bars and barbed wires fences at detention centres, released. They demand their lands and houses back. They need assistance to regain their livelihoods. These are the very same things the government deprives them of,” he said.
Dissanayake said that President Rajapaksa and the government are not providing the urgent relief needs of the people, battered by the conflict, but are engaged in prevarication and spreading lies after lies.
“The North and East must be rebuilt and democracy restored there, instead of military rule. Civil administration and police should replace the Army. Within a week after the conclusion of battle against terrorism on May 27, 2009 the JVP forwarded a letter containing 14 points to the Government, emphasizing the need for reconstructing the battle ravaged areas. The first point was to appoint a North East Reconstruction Task Force and to commence work to help people regain their livelihoods. This was not heeded by the government,” he said.
Dissanayake warned that the situation in the North was not that good and the hard achieved peace would not last long if the government further delays giving the people an opportunity. “Every passing hour and day the situation turns worse. The government must get its act together and address the problems of Tamil people without relying upon eye-wash solutions such as appointing a PSC to find solutions. The JVP would boycott the PSC and would oppose it because it’s a lie. We will do everything possible to expose this lie,” he added.
The Island