Sri Lankan Tamil party to campaign for legitimate rights
Sri Lankan Tamil party to campaign for legitimate rights
10:23, March 14, 2010 
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Sri Lanka's main political party for the Tamil minority Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said Saturday that it would urge the government of India and the international community to help the Tamil minority to win its legitimate rights.
The TNA said in its manifesto for the April 8 parliamentary election that "we will directly take these concerns to India and the International Community urging them to take due cognizance of the genocidal program against the Tamil people and to take appropriate effective action."
The TNA said it hopes to enter into a dialogue with the government after the election in order to restructure the governance of the island so that sovereign rights of the Tamil people would be recognized.
The TNA was seen as the proxy party of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ever since they won 22 seats in the parliamentary election of 2004 from the north and east to the 225- member legislature with the firm backing of the rebels.
However, the party distances itself from pursuing the rebels' separatist goal. Whilst emphasizing that Tamil people are entitled to the right of self-determination, the manifesto states that " power sharing arrangements must be established in a unit of merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a federal structure, in a manner also acceptable to the Tamil Speaking Muslim people."
TNA former legislator Mavai Senathirajah told reporters that the Tamil people are entitled to the right of self-determination, adding that the devolution of powers should be over land, law and order, socio-economic development, resources and finance.
He said the resettlement of war displace civilians must be expedited and the people should be resettled in their original place with basic facilities being provided.
"The high security zones in the Northern and Eastern provinces established due to the military operations would be removed immediately," Senathirajah said.
He emphasized the immediate release of Tamil people who are detained without charges and a general amnesty should be granted to the others, as an initial step towards national reconciliation.
The TNA is a four-party alliance of moderate Tamil parties. Their political freedom was severely curtailed by the LTTE's relentless armed campaign against the state throughout the 30-year old conflict.
Sri Lankan parties are busy in preparing for the parliamentary election and the new parliament is expected to sit on April 22.
It will be the first parliamentary election after the defeat of the LTTE, which had been fighting for more than two decades to carve out an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east before it was crushed by the government troops in May 2009.
Source:Xinhua
The TNA said in its manifesto for the April 8 parliamentary election that "we will directly take these concerns to India and the International Community urging them to take due cognizance of the genocidal program against the Tamil people and to take appropriate effective action."
The TNA said it hopes to enter into a dialogue with the government after the election in order to restructure the governance of the island so that sovereign rights of the Tamil people would be recognized.
The TNA was seen as the proxy party of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ever since they won 22 seats in the parliamentary election of 2004 from the north and east to the 225- member legislature with the firm backing of the rebels.
However, the party distances itself from pursuing the rebels' separatist goal. Whilst emphasizing that Tamil people are entitled to the right of self-determination, the manifesto states that " power sharing arrangements must be established in a unit of merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a federal structure, in a manner also acceptable to the Tamil Speaking Muslim people."
TNA former legislator Mavai Senathirajah told reporters that the Tamil people are entitled to the right of self-determination, adding that the devolution of powers should be over land, law and order, socio-economic development, resources and finance.
He said the resettlement of war displace civilians must be expedited and the people should be resettled in their original place with basic facilities being provided.
"The high security zones in the Northern and Eastern provinces established due to the military operations would be removed immediately," Senathirajah said.
He emphasized the immediate release of Tamil people who are detained without charges and a general amnesty should be granted to the others, as an initial step towards national reconciliation.
The TNA is a four-party alliance of moderate Tamil parties. Their political freedom was severely curtailed by the LTTE's relentless armed campaign against the state throughout the 30-year old conflict.
Sri Lankan parties are busy in preparing for the parliamentary election and the new parliament is expected to sit on April 22.
It will be the first parliamentary election after the defeat of the LTTE, which had been fighting for more than two decades to carve out an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east before it was crushed by the government troops in May 2009.
Source:Xinhua
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