EPDP asked to boycott parliament

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Organisation for the guardians of the arrested and missing persons of Jaffna requested the EPDP yesterday to boycott the Sri Lankan parliament until the issued of the disappearances is resolved by the government.

The EPDP has nine members of Parliament. The leaders of the missing persons' organisation met EPDP leader Douglas Devananda in his office today to discuss the government's evasive actions on the issue.

Sources in Jaffna said yesterday afternoon that Douglas Devananda has acceded to the Organisation's demand but has promised to arrange a decisive meeting between its representatives and the Sri Lankan President within three weeks with a view to securing a clear and firm commitment from the government on the question of the missing persons in Jaffna.

Douglas Devananda recently announced in Jaffna that he would spend the better part of each month in the peninsula. He visited his alma mater - the Jaffna Central College- last week to find out about the school's immediate requirements.

And on Thursday he called a meeting of the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee to discuss development work in the peninsula. The Committee has been dormant due to lack of funds and other means to do anything significant in the peninsula.

Moreover the Committee's power is very much circumscribed by Colombo which tries to control everything through a special authority which functions directly under the President who in this case acts in consultation with the Ministry of Defence.