JVP to observe day of "Resistance" over PTOMS

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 June 2005, 14:50 GMT]
While Norwegian facilitators continued their shuttle diplomacy to get the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to come to an agreement on signing the aid deal, both supporters of aid deal and opposition groups intensified their campaigns in Colombo. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the marxist extreme Sinhala nationalist party, said it will start an island-wide campaign against the aid deal beginning from capital Colombo Friday. Mr Wimal Weerawanse, the powerful propaganda secretary of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) declared Friday as a "Day of Resistance."

Mr Wimal Weerawanse, at a meeting held the Colombo Library Audiotorium on Thursday reiterated that his party is determined to intensify the campaign against the proposed Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (PTOMS) between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers.

A large number of JVP stalwarts from different regions of Sri Lanka participated in the meeting. Several former JVP ministers in the UPFA government also spoke at the meeting.

JVP leaders, for the first time since they withdrew suppport to the United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government, resolved to intensify their campaign against the Joint Mechanism aid deal.

Meanwhile, twenty-five leftist trade unions held a demonstration in support of the PTOMS opposite the Fort Railway Station Thursday.

New Left Front (NLF) leader Dr Wickramabahu Karunaratne, who led the demonstration, urged the progressive forces in Sri Lanka to express support to the aid deal adding that the PTOMS is the need of the hour to put the country on the right track to establish peace.

The Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister and the facilitator of the Sri Lankan peace process Mr Vidar Helgesen, accompanied by the Norwegian Envoy in Colombo, met Mrs. Ferial Ashraff, parliamentarian and the leader of the National Unity Alliance, and assured that the Muslims would not be sidelined in the post-tsunami reconstruction process, sources said.