Tamil parties criticize Colombo for re-imposing ban

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 July 2001, 05:45 GMT]
Tamil parties Thursday criticized the Sri Lankan government for re-imposing the ban on the Liberation Tigers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The legislation proscribing the Liberation Tigers lapsed Wednesday with the Emergency Regulations.

Uncertain of securing the simple majority required to ratify the monthly extension of the Emergency under which the Sri Lankan President issued a proclamation in 1998 proscribing the Liberation Tigers, the Sri Lankan government re-imposed the ban under the PTA.

The Liberation Tigers and the Tamil parties in the opposition say that the government should lift the ban to start peace negotiations.

"The urgency with which the government has come up with a new legal basis for proscribing the Tigers has now demonstrated beyond any doubt that this government's priority is not peace but unmitigated war," said Selvam Adaikalanathan MP for the Vanni and leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation.

"The promptness of the move is a clear signal to the Tamil people that this government is not interested at all in solving their problem. Proscribing the Tigers again in this manner is equal to dismissing the concerns of the Tamil people," said a spokesman for the alliance of ten Tamil parties, in a statement criticizing Colombo's decision to ban the LTTE under the PTA Thursday.

"The President has totally disregarded the democratic tradition of this country in proscribing the Tigers again under the PTA. She should have allowed the Emergency to be debated and ratified by vote in Parliament. If were defeated, she should have respected the will of the majority. Her action is a slap in the face for the Tamil people. They cannot actually trust this government," said Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham TULF MP for Batticaloa, reacting to the re-imposition of the ban on the LTTE.

UNP parliamentarian for Batticaloa district, Mr.Ali Sahir Moulana said the government's decision to re-impose the ban on LTTE shows that it is not genuinely interested in finding negotiated settlement to the conflict.

"The government should talk to the Liberation Tigers to bring this war to an end. It cannot be achieved by proscribing the LTTE", he said.