'Government troops are not for peace' - Trinco Tamils tell Akashi

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 18:43 GMT]
A Tamil delegation comprising of leading citizens of Trincomalee Friday told the visiting Japanese peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi that Tamils of the east port district have lost confidence on the present peace process as they think the government troops are only preparing for war and not for peace, sources in eastern province said.

The delegation cited the establishment of camps by the Sri Lanka Navy at Gopalapuram in Nilaveli village and at Pallathodam in Uppuveli by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) as evidence of the SLA violating the ceasefire agreement, sources said.

Mr.Yasushi Akashi accompanied by his Colombo Ambassador Mr. Seiichiro Ituska arrived Trincomalee Friday morning and held discussions with the members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee, members of armed forces and members of Tamil and Muslim communities, sources said.

When he arrived at the Trincomalee New Silver Star Hotel Friday he was received by the delegations of Tamils and Muslims. Later he held discussion first with the Tamil delegation.




The delegation comprised Tamil national Alliance parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham, President of the Eastern Rehabilitation Organization Attorney-at-Law Mr.K.Sivapalan, Chairman of the Consortium of the Trincomalee district non-governmental organizations Mr.T.Thavasilingam, President of the Trincomalee District Bar Association Mr.R.Thirukumaranathan, Reverend Terrence of Methodist Church, President of the Nilaveli co-operative society Mr.K.Thambiaiyah, Mr.S.Ledchumanan, President of Trincomalee District Development and Mr.S.Thandauthapani, President of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union.

The delegation pointed out to the Japanese peace envoy that Trincomalee district has not got a Tamil government agent in its 204 year old civil administration although more than seventy percent of the population of the port district is Tamil speaking people. A Muslim officer was appointed Government Agent and that also for a week's time, sources said

The delegation further brought to the notice of Mr. Akashi that the Police in Trincomalee district still record complaints from Tamils in Sinhala and file plaints and furnish reports in law courts in the district only in Sinhala

Japanese peace envoy Mr. Akashi replied that problems of this nature could be sorted out amicably when the peace process being taken forward with a sense of dedication and commitment by the parties concerned.