World Teachers urge President to expedite peace talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 August 2001, 15:16 GMT]
The World Teachers' Conference held under the auspices of the Education International (EI) at Jimstil City in Thailand, unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the Sri Lankan President to "expedite the Norwegian brokered peace process to find a lasting political solution to the ethnic problem." Over 2000 delegates from 150 countries representing 310 teachers' trade unions in the world attended the conference, according to Mr.T.Mahasivam, General Secretary of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) who returned home from Thailand Tuesday evening.

Mr.Mahasivam was one of the nine delegates from Sri Lanka, and the only Tamil representative who attended the conference.

Ms Marie Hatwood Futrel, President of the US Teachers' Union presided over the six-day conference that ended on July 30.

The resolution said: "The conference requests the President of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to expedite the Norwegian brokered peace process, which has the support of the international community, particularly the United States of America, the United Kingdom and India, to find a lasting political solution to the ethnic problem."

Mr. M.P.Mendis, founder President of the pro-government Sri Lanka Independent Teachers' Trade Union and Mr.Stanely Perera, founder President of the All Ceylon English Teachers' Union, jointly proposed the resolution on Sri Lanka's ethnic problem. Mr.T.Mahasivam, General Secretary of the CTTU, seconded the resolution.

The delegates of the conference were told that the resolution would be sent to the Sri Lankan President, within one week's time by the Secretary General of the EI.

The conference also expressed deep concern over the attack on the Sri Lanka's only international airport at Katunayake and the main airbase.

The Palestinian Teachers' Union and East Timor Teachers' Union were also admitted to the membership of Education International.