Restriction on Colombo Tamils lifted

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 March 2002, 17:41 GMT]
The United National Front (UNF) government Friday decided to suspend immediately the practice of providing information about Tamil civilians residing in Colombo and its suburbs to the Police. Till Friday permanent residents and owners of boarding houses and lodges in Colombo had to furnish information about Tamil civilians who come from outstations, especially from the Northeast province and stay with them, to the police.

The circular abolishing this practice has been sent to the Police Headquarters in Colombo Friday by the Ministry of Defence, authoritative sources said.

Since the cease-fire agreement signed by the UNF government and the LTTE came into force, several road barriers, checkpoints and restrictions imposed on the movements of people in Colombo and its suburbs have been removed.

Meanwhile The Court of Appeal Friday announced that the inquiry into the Writ Application filed by the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) seeking to nullify the cease-fire agreement signed by the UNF government and the LTTE would be held on March 19.

When the Writ application was taken up for inquiry Friday before the Court of Appeal, Attorney General Mr.K.C.Kamalasabeyson appeared for the first respondent and the members of the Cabinet.

The JVP has cited the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe as the first respondent and Mr.Velupillai Pirapaharan as the second respondent. The members of Cabinet have also been cited as respondents.

The JVP in its application has sought the Court to nullify the ceasefire agreement as it had contravened the Constitution of the country. Furthermore the Prime Minister of the country has violated the Constitution by usurping the power of the Executive President of the country by signing the said agreement.