Tamil MPs boycot NE governor's visit to Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 March 2005, 17:45 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance MPs Saturday boycotted the first official visit of Northeast Governor Mr. Tyronne Fernandao to Batticaloa. The Minister for Batticaloa Development, Mr. M.S.M Ameer Ali, was also not present for the Governor's visit to the troubled eastern town.

"The Tamils want to negotiate an Interim Self Governing Authority. The governor's visit here endorses a system we reject. He represents the unitary Sinhala Buddhist state's authority in our homeland. Hence we did not want to give lgitimacy to that by being present for his first visit to Batticaloa", said Mr. S. Jeyanandamoorthy , TNA MP for Batticaloa, explaining his party's decision to boycot the NE Governor's visit. The Governor met govt officials at the Batticaloa District Secretariat.