"Stop war, start talks" - TULF

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 January 2001, 21:49 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Tuesday demanded the Sri Lankan Government immediately stop the war and commence negotiations with the Liberation Tigers so as to find a political solution to the island's protracted ethnic conflict. Mr. V. Anandasangari, Vice President of the TULF was speaking at the swearing in of Nadarajah Raviraj as the new Mayor of Jaffna Municipal Council.

Addressing the gathering at the party office at Colpetty in Colombo, Mr.Anandasangari said his party contested the local government elections in the Jaffna peninsula to prevent the rights of the Tamil people from being deprived by some "stooges of the Sri Lankan Government."

The TULF leader said the government had utilized this particular Tamil group to muzzle the democratic rights of the Jaffna people. "The TULF thwarted this attempt of the government by contesting the Jaffna Municipal Council," he said.

Mr. Anandasangary said that this Tamil group is now engaged in suppressing the democratic rights of the Jaffna people. "A member of the group who has entered the Parliament through the back door is now accusing us that we are the spokesmen of the LTTE," he said.

"[But] We are not spokesmen for any one. It is funny to see that this group which hides behind the protection provided by the government is now accusing us that we speak on behalf of the LTTE," he added.

"I want to know from this Tamil group whom they represent in the Parliament," asked Mr. Anandasangary.

Although he did not refer to the organization by name, Sri Lankan political correspondents said this was an oblique reference to the paramilitary Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), which has been a staunch supporter of the ruling People's Alliance (PA) and whose leader, Douglas Devananda was appointed to the new cabinet in October.