Nambiar recommendation unacceptable – ANC expert

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 July 2003, 00:39 GMT]
“The recommendation made by the Indian army expert General Nambiar that all the long range weapons of the Liberation Tigers should be placed under the supervision of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission cannot be accepted until permanent peace is achieved,” said retired South African army officer and a member of the African National Congress (ANC) Dr. Rocky Williams at a discussion held at Pandatherippu Meditation Center Wednesday.

Dr. Saymi

The discussion on High Security Zones in Jaffna was held under the auspices of Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies, which is based in Colombo.

Earlier this year, Colombo hired retired Indian army officer Maj. General Satish Nambiar to study the question of Sri Lankan armed forces High Security Zones occupying hundreds of Tamil villages in the northern peninsula and other parts of the northeast. Thousands of Tamil families rendered refugees by the HSZs are yet to return home due to the unresolved question of the HSZ.

“The problem of the Tamils is distinct and unique. Developing countries should not blindly follow the political models of developed countries in resolving their conflicts”, Dr. Williams said.

Dr. Williams

Dr. Kayode Saymi, a Nigerian army advisor, Mr. Keisuke Murata and Mr. Fergus Thomas of UNHCR, Mr Dagbin Aadnacs of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and representatives of International Federation of Tamil Eelam Students took part in the discussion.

LTTE political activists, Mr.Imayavan and Mr. Sutha, Colonel Jayasundera of 51st Brigade of the SLA and Major Seneviratne representing Palaly SLA headquarters attended the discussion.

Jaffna Bishop Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundranayagam, Rev S.P.Nesakumar of the Church of South Indian , Mr. S.Paramanathan, Chairman of Jaffna Humanitarian Agencies Consortium , Rev Fr A.J.Bernard and Mr.Ruwan Chandrasekara, Jaffna regional coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka participated.

Consortium of Jaffna Humanitarian Agencies (JHA) Chairman, Mr.Paramanathan said security forces should agree to let displaced people resettle in high security zone areas that are not physically occupied by them.


Mr. Chandrasekara and SLA officers

Mr.Paramanathan said that the commander of the Sri Lankan security forces has so far not responded to a request made by the JHA six months ago for starting talks on easing the difficulties the displaced families undergo at present.

Colonel Jayasundera of the SLA said: “we know the difficulties faced by displaced persons due to the High Security Zones. However the high command of the SLA has decided to maintain the HSZ in the interest of the national security. The HSZ issue would be solved once and for all with the full implementation of a political solution to the conflict”.


Dr. Williams (left), Jaffna Bishop and Mr. Paramanathan