Batticaloa NGOs want PTA repealed
[TamilNet, Friday, 18 January 2002, 14:53 GMT]
Members of the consortium of NGO’s of Batticaloa demonstrated in the eastern town Friday morning urging the government to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (RTA), release Tamil political prisoners and remove restrictions on fishing and street blocks in the district set up by the Sri Lankan security forces. Addressing the demonstrators, the president of the consortium, Mr. A. Selvedran, said that the United National Front government should create conditions of normalcy in the district and that the army and Police should vacate the schools, temples and libraries which they occupy in Batticaloa.
He said that it has been the long-standing wish of the people of Batticaloa that the army should remove its bunkers and defended positions in and around the town’s Weber Stadium.  Mr. Selvendran was a candidate of the Tamil National Alliance at the general elections in December 2001. He said that the peace process could make meaningful progress only if the cessation of hostilities is negotiated into a mutual and stable ceasefire. The demonstrators later handed over a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister to the Government Agent.
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