2ND LEAD

Colombo sinhalicises Ampaa'rai District Secretariat

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 July 2010, 04:38 GMT]
Biased Sinhala officials in Ampaa’rai District Secretariat have been taking steps to transfer all Tamil officials working there in an effort to convert it a Sinhala only office. As a first step a Tamil Assistant Director of Planning has been transferred out of Ampaa’rai District Secretariat causing hardships to Tamil people in the district.

Ampaa’rai district comprises of several Tamil villages including Kaaraitheevu, Aalaiyadivempu, Thirukkoayil and Kalmunai Tamil division.

The Tamil speaking people in this area will be severely affected by the absence of Tamil speaking officials in the secretariat to handle their affairs.

An organization named Movement against Unjust in Eastern Province has sent a memorandum to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa with copies to Minister Douglas Devananda, Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan and Ampaarai District Tamil National Alliance (TNA), parliamentarian Podiappu Piyasena, requesting him to stop this unjust action immediately.

Ampaa’rai District Government Agent is said to be working behind the move to Sinhalicise the District Secretariat, according to the memorandum sent to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.