Government must negotiate - TULF

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 12:47 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Parliamentarian for the Batticaloa district, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, said that the denial of the legitimate rights of the Tamil people by Sri Lankan Governments has resulted in the current upsurge of violence on the island.

He was speaking at a ceremony marking the opening of a new class room at the Saaratha Vidyalayam (school) in Manchuththuduvai, in the Eastern district, yesterday.

The present Government, that came to power promising peace, has failed to achieve it, he said.

The MP further said that the North-Eastern Province is divided into two separate regions, one that is controlled by the Liberation Tigers and the other by Government forces.

"As the large part of the province is controlled by the LTTE, these areas have been deprived of development and lost foreign development aid", Mr. Pararajasingham said at the meeting.

Speaking on resolving the conflict in the island, Mr. Pararajasingham, said that the Government should resume negotiations with the Liberation Tigers with the involvement of a third party. He said negotiating with any other groups will not lead to any solution.

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan Minister of Ports and Rehabilitation, Mr. Ashraff, while speaking at a meeting at the Ampara Town Hall yesterday said that English should be made the official administrative language.

He said that the country could not face the developments of the next century if Sinhala is still used as the administrative language.

The Government Agent of Ampara also participated in the meeting.