Emergency extension debate begins, TNA sit-in-protest continue in parliament

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 October 2006, 16:21 GMT]
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Thursday tabled a motion in the parliament seeking the approval to extend the State of Emergency for another month while parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) continued their sit-in-protest in the well of the House for the sixth day demanding the immediate re-opening of the A-9 land route, the only gateway to the Jaffna district from rest of the country and lift the economic embargo on the Jaffna population.

The State of Emergency was imposed in the country on August 13 last year one day after the assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Foreign Minister in Colombo. Since then the State of Emergency is being extended every month with the approval of the parliament

Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake moving the motion said that 79 government security personnel were killed and 470 were injured from September 1st to 2nd of October in the fighting. He added 114 civilians were killed and 83 others were injured during that period.

"I propose that the State of Emergency should be extended for another to maintain law and order in the country," said Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.