PATRIOTIC NATIONAL MOVEMENT SUPPORTS NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT BUT REJECTS INTERIM GOVT FOR NORTH AND EAST
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
May 09, 01.30 PM: The Patriotic National Movement that helped the ruling People’s Alliance government into power said although they strongly supported a negotiated settlement of Sri Lanka’s national problem they totally rejected the proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority for the island’s North and the East.
The Desha Hithaishi Jathika Viyaparaya (DJV) or the Patriotic National Movement, the broad mass organization of intellectuals, Buddhist Monks, students, farmers and working class that was instrumental in putting the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in to power said in a statement that it was all out for a negotiated settlement of the national problem of Sri Lanka, provided that the settlement did not harm national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country even by a fraction.
Venerables Elle Gunawansa and Dr. Dambara Amila Theros, Sri Lanka’s senior author Dr. Gunadasa Amerasekera and government parliamentarians Wimal Weerawansa and Arjuna Ranatunga signed the statement putting tremendous pressure on the government as to how to deal in the national problem regarding the future negotiations.
The statement said the Patriotic National Movement categorically wanted to state that it was the responsibility of the Freedom Alliance government to reject the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) proposal to establish an interim self governing administration for the North and East and said it was based on democratic and human rights principles for all people of the country.
Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero later told in an interview that not only the recent split of Col. Karuna from the LTTE but even older groups like EPDP, PLOTE, EPRLF and other groups and Muslims clearely indicated there were other groups representing Tamils. But it was the LTTE, that was the major group he said replying whether LTTE was the sole representative of the Tamil people.
Reminding the new government that a negotiated settlement for the solution of the national problem of Sri Lanka should not be rejected without any hope the DJV or the Patriotic National Movement said the negotiations should be conducted in a manner that the nation would not be caged in the wicked traps of separatists or international reactionary forces. The negotiated settlement should be conducted without providing dividends to the separatists, the movement strongly reminded. The statement also said, that during a short period of two years the citizens of the country brought the support for the UNP to a record low of 37 %, strongly due to the fact that they betrayed the country in the name of peace. Therefore the new government should be able to correctly assess the determination of the people, the statement pointed out.
The movement also said, it’s attention had been drawn to the attempts by the present government to solve the national problem by negotiations. Since the facilitation of the Norway in this peace process had become suspicious to many parties , the movement said , it was their duty to express their view regarding that.
The DJV said during the regime of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, it was quite obvious the peace process made the separatist movement stronger than before and put the country in an uneasy trap. The release of the country from that snare should be done very thoughtfully. If the wishes of some extremist “contractors” could be materialized to release the country from the trap it would be indeed a matter for joy. But when one looks at the problem quite pragmatically the release should be done very judiciously and wisely. As the saying goes the man who fell into the well should come up the same way he fell down. The present government should be mindful of finding out a way that we would not be compelled to remain at the bottom of the hole forever. Therefore, many things had to be borne in mind, the statement said.
The statement emphasized that the government should not engage in negotiation in a manner that the country could not be trapped in the snares set by separatists or international reactionary forces. The new government was bound by the people to act in that manner, the statement pointed out.
Venerable Elle Gunawansa later, in the broadcasting interview said they would have been happier if India also was involved in the peace process. He said the Tamil people should be also happier for the involvement of India since that country had strong links to their heritage. They preferred especially, India’s involvement in the Peace Monitoring Teams, Venerable Elle Gunawansa said.
