JHU launches signature campaign to oust Norway

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 September 2004, 10:31 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the party of ultra Sinhala nationalist Buddhist monks, launched a signature campaign Tuesday in Kandy vowing to collect five million signatures against the Norwegian facilitation in the Peace Process. Venerable Omalpe Sobhitha Thera, the Deputy Leader of the JHU, addressing a meeting at the Central Market in Kandy, vowed that he personally would be campaigning for three days in Colombo, Kandy, Gampaha, Galle, Matara and Polannaruwa districts, sources said.

"Norwegian envoys are the real enemies of people of Sri Lanka. They are sympathetic to Tiger demands," said Sobhitha Thera.

Ven. Pandit Madagama Dhammananatha Thera of the Asgiriya Maha Vihara said that the objective of obtaining the signatures is to pressure Sri Lanka's President to prevent the division of the country.

Kandy district JHU parliamentarian Ven. Udawatta Nanda Thera said, "We do not need Norwegians support. If the our government needs any support to solve the ethnic problem, it should seek the assistance of India."

Head of the Dodanwela Bhikshu training centre, Ven. Dodanwela Dharmaratna Thera, and the chairman of the Keppetipola, Sri Walshakabhidana society, and R.K Ariya sema also took part in the meeting.

JHU officials said that they will handover the signatures to Sri Lanka's President Ms. Kumarathunge, Prime Minister Mahindha Rajapaksha and foreign diplomats.

JHU is also planning to obtain signatures from the ruling party parliamentarians and the opposition parliamentarians, JHU sources said.

The signature campaign is expected to last 30 days, according to JHU sources.

JHU won an unexpected nine seats in the 225-seat Parliament during the April elections.

The JHU is opposed to negotiations with the LTTE and to international facilitation. The party is against the present peace process saying it will only lead to the division of SriLanka.

Sinhalese make up 74% of the 19 million population of the Sri Lanka and are concentrated in the southwest of Sri Lanka