Tamils abroad urge LTTE leadership to release civilian hostages
One of the members of "Tamil Diaspora for Dialogue"
Mrs Rajeswari Balasubramaniam yesterday (Apr 6) appealed to LTTE leader
Prabhakaran for the release of innocent civilians trapped in the "No
Fire Zone"
She was one of the 21 intellectuals who arrived in Sri
Lanka last week.
Mrs Balasubramaniam is a writer by profession and
Human Rights campaigner who lives in the UK. The other members of the
team comprising lawyers, writers, doctors, professors, academics from
UK, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Germany Canada
and Australia.
"This is the time for us, Tamils, to rethink anew
whether war and destruction is the final solution for Tamils who have
lost thousands of them when one looks back after almost 20 years", he
said. "We Tamils who have borne the brunt of suppression, oppression,
battered and bruised over the years must forget the past and think anew.
We know that it is not easy to forget the past after what we went
through was hell for many years it is not easy but you have to forget
the past" she asserted.
"This message is especially for all those members of
the 'Tamil Diaspora' who are especially beating the war drums from the
cool comfort and safety of their homes in foreign capitals around the
world. They must think anew and learn to live in a united Sri Lanka
where all could enjoy equal rights", she said
They had met ministers Rohitha Bogollagama, Prof.
Tissa Vitharna, Dew Gunasekera Senior Presidential Advisor MP Basil
Rajapaksa Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga Secretary Justice
Ministry Suhada Gamlath Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohonne, Secretary
UDA Dr. Prathap Ramanujhan, Secretary Social Services Ministry Mrs
Rajeswary Jegarajasingham and former IGP and Presidential advisor
Chandra Fernando
Another member Dr. Rajasingham Narendiran said that
the delegation members were highly impressed by Senior Presidential
Advisor Basil Rajapaksa during his three hour presentation on
Re-awakening of the East program of the Government "We found that
through the Central Government they had done tremendous work which we
would have preferred if it were implemented by the Provincial
Government", he said
He further said they requested the government any
surrendering LTTE cadre should be treated with humanity and
rehabilitated
Mrs. Balasubramaniam said that it is time for LTTE
leader to rethink how productively he could have used his abilities by
creating a new Tamil community by entering the democratic path
Courtesy: The Island |
