NGO calls for Peace Task Force

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Movement for Justice, Peace and National Reconciliation, an NGO of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, called on the Sri Lankan government today to establish a bipartisan peace task force to negotiate with the Liberation Tigers.

In a statement issued to the press this afternoon the catholic body said:

"We call on the government to set up a high level peace task force consisting of an equal number from the government and the UNP who can agree on the basic principles of power sharing and devolution which can guide the future constitution. The peace task force should include representatives from the Tamil and Muslim parties and eminent representatives from the civil society. A neutral facilitator from a commonwealth country or other mutually acceptable country could also be invited. The task force would also be agent of mediation with the LTTE at least in the initial stages. If an when an agreement is reached with the LTTE, the results could be handed over to the Parliament and the cabinet of ministers for further action"