JHU demands Colombo to stop Balasingham's visit

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 January 2006, 11:30 GMT]
The Sinhala nationalist party of Buddhist monks, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Wednesday demanded the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to stop the visit of Chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr.Anton Balasingham , to Killinochchi. Venerable Athuraliya Rathana Thera, parliamentary group leader of the JHU addressing a press briefing Wednesday in the parliamentary complex said the present government is also trying to hand over the sovereignty of the country to the LTTE in the cover of peace process, parliamentary sources said.

Venerable Athuraliya Rathana Thera asked the government to name those who gave permission for Mr. Balasingham to visit Killinochchi and to Mr. Erik Solheim to visit Sri Lanka.

The European Union (EU) has imposed a travel ban on the LTTE. But the GOSL has not imposed any ban or restriction on the LTTE. President Mahinda Rajapakse should stop Mr.Anton Balasingham from coming to Sri Lanka, he said.

"JHU supported Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse at the last presidential election on certain promises. Mr Rajapakse should keep all promises given to JHU, said Venerable Athuraliyea Rathana Thera.

"The Speaker, Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara, has demonstrated his inability to prevent Tamil parliamentarians from holding protest campaign inside the parliament. Hence we demand his immediate resignation. Tamil parliamentarians are disrupting the sittings of the parliament preventing us from raising questions about the visits of Mr. Erik Solheim and Mr.Anton Balasingham. The government should take action against Tamil parliamentarians who are disrupting the parliamentary proceedings," said JHU leader.