TNA MPs protest, pandemonium in SL Parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 11:24 GMT]
Pandemonium reigned in Sri Lanka Parliament Tuesday morning when Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians protested and shouted slogans against the firing on the Tamil civilians in Jaffna Monday injuring several undergrads and university teachers when they were proceeding in a peaceful march to the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), sources said.

Soon after the Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader issued a statement on "Jaffna attacks on Tamil civilians", TNA parliamentarians present in parliament walked into the well of the House shouting slogans.

They demanded that President Mahinda Rajapakse who is the Defense Minister should come to parliament and issue a statement on the Jaffna situation.

TNA MPs also demanded that Sri Lanka Army should immediately vacate the high security zones in the Jaffna district enabling hundreds of thousands of internally displaced now languishing in refugee camps and welfare centers to return to their own houses and agricultural lands, sources said.

Parliamentarians of Jathika Hela Urumaya and Sri Lanka Freedom Party also shouted at the TNA parliamentarians. Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara adjourned the House, as he could not bring the situation under control.

Half an hour later the sitting resumed and the Speaker assured the TNA parliamentarians that he had conveyed their demands to Mr Rajapakse and is waiting for the response. Thereafter budget debate resumed, sources said.