Somawanse Amarasinghe, leader of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and parliamentarian, was unable to deliver an unambiguous answer to questions raised by media persons who wanted to know the position of his party in finding a political solution for the ethnic issue, in a press meet held in Jaffna town Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, Somawanse Amarasinghe who had come to Jaffna Tuesday evening after a three-day visit to Vanni said that his group was subjected to harassment by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers who did not permit them to visit the resettled Vanni residents in some parts of Vanni.
Answering the question on political solution to the ethnic issue Amarasinghe said that the 13th Amendment was not something that people had asked for but thrust on them by India and that JVP opposed it because it was forced on the people. JVP opposed the Ranil-Tiger peace accord for the same reason, he added.
“What we want is a solution based on equality, and the denied democracy to be restored” Somawanse said.
He further said that what the people need now is not the 13th Amendment or a political solution but food to eat, means to live, and to be released from the camps and detention centres.
“What we ask of Sri Lanka government and the International Community is the immediate release of the youths detained in camps. Legal action should be taken on those guilty of crimes under the law of the country and they be proved guilty. Those found guilty should be punished while the rest be immediately allowed to join their families,” Somawanse said.
In response to another question Somawanse said that Mahinda Rajapakse government is attempting to pawn Sri Lanka to countries like India, China and US.
“International Community handles the affairs of Sri Lanka on two different planes – a political plane and on a plane of economic development assistance. We should be vigilant about this two-way approach,” Somawanse said.
Speaking about the visit to Vanni, Somawanse said that at least one male member of the family in each of the houses he visited in Vanni had disappeared or held in detention.
He also said that he has been informed that the resettled people in Vanni whom they were able to visit were later called to the SLA camp interrogated and harassed.
The propaganda secretary of JVP, Vijitha Nerath and MP, parliamentarians Anurakumara Tissanayake, Vimal Ratnayake and former parliamentarian of Kandy district, Dimuthu Bandara Abeykoon participated in the press meet along with Somawanse Amarasinghe.
The JVP team had visited several places in Jaffna Wednesday morning before the above press meet.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow TNN on Facebook and Twitter )