Sri Lanka's bona fides critical to peace talks- TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2004, 19:21 GMT]
“We are militarily and politically strong that no Sri Lanka Government will be able to deceive the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) or the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with cosmetic gestures or by engaging us in disingenous peace talks. Our future attitude towards having a constructive dialogue with the Sri Lanka Government depends on its next move towards the peace process," said the TNA parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan addressing a large gathering of TNA activists and local leaders held at Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall Sunday morning.

Section of attendees to the meeting

The meeting was held to thank the TNA activists who worked for the victory of the TNA in the Trincomalee district. TNA captured two parliamentary seats in the April 2nd general elections.

The Secretary of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Trincomalee district branch Mr.S.Sriskantharajah presided.

About five hundred TNA activists (men and women) participated in the meeting.

Mr.Sampanthan said TNA and LTTE have joined hands to take forward the freedom struggle to achieve the establishment of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) for the northeast province. The ISGA will give us the necessary administrative and legal framework to rebuild the war-ravaged Tamil homeland and to rehabilitate hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Tamil families now languishing in welfare centres and refugee camps.

“By selecting 22 Tamil parliamentarians, Tamils gave a mandate to the TNA that ISGA should form the basis for the future peace talks to find a lasting political solution. That is why Sri Lanka's President Ms.Kumaratunge, following the defeat in the Speaker’s election, immediately contacted the Norwegian Prime Minister by telephone the same day night and wanted him to resume the facilitator role without delay," said Mr.Sampanthan.

Trincomalee district parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham and other TNA candidates who contested the general election in the TNA ticket also spoke.

Sampanthan, Secretary General TULF

Thurairetnasingham, TNA parliamentarian

Section of the women audience at the meeting