UNF govt. urged to repeal PTA, release detainees

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 January 2002, 19:44 GMT]
The All Ceylon Government General Employees Union (ACGGEU) Sunday appealed to the United National Front (UNF)Government to take immediate steps to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and to release all Tamil detainees held under the PTA in several prisons in the island.. A resolution to this effect stated that "the State armed forces use this PTA act to commit various crimes including torture and human rights violation on Tamil people under the pretext of safeguarding the sovereignty of the country".

Including the above several other resolutions were also unanimously adopted at the fifth annual general meeting of the ACGGEU, Trincomalee district branch Sunday at Trincomalee St.Francis Xavier High School.

Some of the resolutions passed at the above meeting follow:

1. The UNF government should taken immediate steps to lift the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka before the commencement of peace talks between the government and the LTTE.

2. The UNF government should start negotiations with the LTTE immediately without any delay.

3. The Government should order security forces to remove all barriers and check points in Trincomalee district.

Mr.S.Loganathan, President of the ACGGEU which has its headquarters in Kalmunai town in eastern province presided.