EPDP refuses to participate in Rights Seminar

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 November 2004, 17:19 GMT]
Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), para military group and a constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government has informed the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) that it would not participate in seminars on human rights organized for its members due to security reasons, sources said.

HRCSL has been conducting seminars on human rights for members of all political parties functioning in the Jaffna district.

In this series the HRCSL sought permission from the EPDP leadership to organize a seminar for the members of the party at the EPDP headquarters located in Jaffna Sridhar Theatre, sources said.

The EPDP leadership has now refused permission to the HRCSL to hold a human rights seminar for its members in its headquarters in Jaffna.

HRCSL has already held such seminars for the members of the Varathar wing of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) in Jaffna, sources said.