TNA MPs meet Canadian Ambassador

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 10:44 GMT]
Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Senior parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Kajendran, Ms.Pathmini Sithamparanathan and Selvam Adaikalanathan met with Candian Ambassador Valerie Raymond at the Canadian High Commission in Colombo Friday morning to discuss matters related to Interim Administration Authority Proposals (ISGA), diplomatic sources in Colombo said.

"We told the Ambassador that while Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the marxist constituent of the Sri Lanka Government is vehemently oppose talks based on the ISGA, Sri Lanka's President is also not taking any concrete steps towards peace process. We have little confidence in Ms.Kumaratunge as she has already flip-flopped on her standing related to the ISGA several times.

"We impressed upon the Ambassador that TNA is convinced that the Sri Lanka Government, using the military intelligence wing, is attempting to provoke the Liberation Tigers into war despite assurances expressed by LTTE's Leader of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, of LTTE's commitment to peace," Gajendrakumar told TamilNet.

Selvam Adaikalanathan said told the Ambassador that TNA parliamentarian were disturbed by the statements of the European Union blaming the Liberation Tigers for the violence in the East. "The recent attack in Pullumalai on Tiger camp cannot have happened without the assistance of Sri Lanka military and that Sri Lankan Government's reluctance to enter into dialogue with the LTTE should be criticized by the international community," Adaikalanathan told the Ambassador.

Mr.Pararajasingham said that the Ambassador assured them that she will convey the sentiments expressed by the MPs to her Government and will impress upon Sri Lanka's Sinhala political leaders on the criticality of making progress in peace talks.