Discrimination in Bank recruitment, protests TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 11:06 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group and the Trincomalee district parliamentarian Sunday faxed a written protest to President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge calling for the cancellation of all appointments made by the State Banks, Bank of Ceylon (BoC) and Peoples Bank (PB) to their branches in the Tamil dominated NorthEast or that the new appointees be recalled "as this is a repetition of the regular discrimination that has been consistently practised against the Tamils in the matter of employment in the state sector including State Banks."

Of the 600 total appointments made, 45 are posted to the North-East. Out of these 38 are posted to the Trincomalee district of which only two are Tamils. The Peoples Bank has recruited 750 persons. Of 750, twenty-one have been posted to Trincomalee district. Of them 17 are Sinhalese and four are Tamils, said Sampanthan

"Of the appointments made to the Trincomalee district 53 are Sinhalese and 6 are Tamils. This is a scandalous situation considering the fact that at least about 75 percent to 80 percent of the customers of the two State banks in the Trincomalee are Tamil speaking," said Mr.Sampanthan in his letter.

Mr.Sampanthan in his letter pointed out to the President,"You cannot be unaware that this is one of the factors that has substantially contributed to the alienation of Tamil youths from the Sri Lankan State and to the demand for self-rule."

"Appointments of an adequate number of Tamil speaking persons including Tamils should be made in the NorthEast on the basis of merit," requested Mr.Sampanthan.

The number of appointments made to the North East is inadequate. Considering the fact that State Banks in the NorthEast are considerably understaffed, when compared to other provinces. The number of appointments of persons proficient in the Tamil language, inclusive of Tamil appointees, country wide particularly in the North East is totally inadequate, said Mr.Sampanthan.