Southern delegation meets Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 17:08 GMT]
Jaffna district political head of the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam, C.Ilamparithi, Thursday met with a delegation comprising Southern provincial councillors and members of the Saumya Youth Foundation at the Potpathy Road offices of the LTTE, sources said.

Ilamaparithy requested the delegation to convey to people of the South that Tamils in Jaffna district are still deprived of the benefits of ceasefire agreement even after thirty months and that thousands of internally displaced families are still languishing in camps and welfare centres due to the occupation of their houses and agricultural lands by the government security forces.

The delegation comprised 29 representatives including Mr.Sajith Sanjeya Perera, Predesiya Council members Mr.Nihal Rohithakumara and Mr.K.Murugesu.

Ilamparithi told the delegation that Sinhala media and the government have been engaged in spreading lies about the situation prevailing in war-torn northeast and the LTTE. ''It is the duty of the local leaders of the South to educate the rural Sinhala masses about the sufferings Tamil people are still undergoing in their own land'', Mr.Ilamparithi said.

Mr.Sajith Sanjeya Perera in reply said that he has no confidence in the Sri Lanka government that it would take steps to alleviate the suffering of Tamils in Jaffna district and in other parts of the northeast province. ''Instead of approaching the government we would reveal through provincial councils we hold offices the real suffering s of Tamil people to our Sinhala brethren in the south,'' assured Mr.Perera.

Earlier on their way by road to Jaffna Thursday morning through Muhamalai checkpoint the delegation met with army officials located there and later with the SLA Jaffna area command. The delegation is scheduled to visit Killinochchi Friday and is expected meet LTTE political activists there, sources said.