TNA accuses SL Armed Forces for attack on MP's residence

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 July 2006, 12:25 GMT]
Condemning in "strongest possible terms this cowardly act on a democratically elected Member of Parliament," the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a press release issued Sunday said it has not the slightest doubt that this has been carried out by the "Government Paramilitary Groups and the Government Armed Forces in direct contravention of the Ceasefire Agreement and the agreements reached in Geneva in February 2006." The release added: "It is the refusal of the Sri Lankan Government to deal with its Paramilitary Groups and its Armed Forces as per the Ceasefire Agreement and the Geneva agreements that has been the single most destabilizing factor of the Peace Process."

Full text of the press release follows:

On Friday the 21st of July 2006 at about 9.15pm, the residence of Hon. S. Jeyananthamoorthy, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament for the Batticaloa Electoral District was attacked with heavy weaponry within Government controlled territory, from close proximity. The attack caused extensive damage to the house. Miraculously, Mr. Jeyananthamoorthy nor his wife, children and relatives who were in the house at the time of the attack were injured. One Security Officer suffered minor injuries.

The TNA condemns in the strongest possible terms this cowardly act on a democratically elected Member of Parliament. The TNA does not have the slightest doubt that the attack was carried out by Government Paramilitary Forces along with the active support of the Government Armed Forces.

This is yet another incident, of a long list of incidents that have been carried out by the Government Paramilitary Groups and the Government Armed Forces in direct contravention of the Ceasefire Agreement and the agreements reached in Geneva in February 2006. It is the refusal of the Sri Lankan Government to deal with its Paramilitary Groups and its Armed Forces as per the Ceasefire Agreement and the Geneva agreements that has been the single most destabilizing factor of the Peace Process.

The TNA calls upon the International Community to prevail upon the Sri Lankan Government to immediately stop all acts of violence against the Tamil civilian population and their representatives, and pressure the Sri Lankan Government to fulfill its commitments to the Ceasefire Agreement and the Geneva agreements if the Peace Process is to be saved.

R. SAMPANTHAN M.P.
TNA Parliamentary Group Leader