Explain clandestine acts against Tamils, UPF asks UNP

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 11:04 GMT]
"If the United National Party (UNP) has plans to undermine the NorthEast struggle by using paramilitaries or by inviting foreign military forces, then Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) will not only withdraw its support to the UNP but will work against its candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections," said Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, leader of UPF, in a media release issued in Colombo Monday.

A United National Party (UNP) stalwart, Mr. Naveen Dissanayake, revealed UNP's clandestine efforts to undermine Tamil struggle during a UNP propaganda meeting in Nuwara Eliya Thursday.

"We consider the new revelations as a warning to the Tamil people fighting for their fundamental rights.

"We will be forced to review our support to the UNP if the leadership fails to provide acceptable explanations to the revelations by a senior member of the party," said UPF in the media release.

"Before we agreed to support the UNP, we also requested Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe that UNP should treat equally all upcountry parties. To our dismay, we find the UNP giving prominence to one selected upcountry party in its propaganda meetings. We are forced to conclude that the UNP is intent on marginalizing the UPF," the media release said.

Mr Chandrasekaran further said in the release: "If UNP fails to provide acceptable explanations to the above matters and take UPF into confidence, UPF feels its continued support to the UNP portends danger to the Tamil people and UPF."