TNA MPs meet Swiss Ambassador

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 September 2004, 10:35 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Foreign Affairs Committee which met with Swiss Ambassodor to Sri Lanka, Mr. Bernadino Regazzoni, at the Switzerland Embassy in Colombo Friday expressed their concern on the reluctance shown by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government to take steps to restart the peace talks, and urged the ambassador to exert pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka to actively seek ways to resume talks.

TNA's Foreign Affairs Committee members, parliamentarians Jaffna district Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam, Ms.Pathimini Sithamparanathan, and senior Parlimentarian Joseph pararajasingam participated in the meeting.

Gajendrakumar told TamilNet that in the meeting with the ambassador they stressed the critical role international community has to play to bring the two parties together to resume talks.

The Parliamentarians also explained to Ambassador Regazzoni the need for the international community to display a balanced approach, and blaming only the LTTE for the violence in the east will not be constructive to peace. The active support of the Sri Lanka military to paramilitary groups is one of the key reasons for the escalating violence, the parliamentarians pointed out.

"Instead of using the forum of the United Nations General Assembly to give a distorted picture of the current peace process, Ms.Kumaratunge should have enunciated specific steps she is contemplating to move the peace process forward. Unless her Government takes concrete steps towards peace there is imminent danger that situation will deteriorate which might lead to renewed war," Gajendrakumar said they told the ambassador.

Mr. Regazzoni shared his concern on the lack of progress and assured the MPs his full cooperation in the efforts of the international community to bring the sides together for resuming the peace talks.