A European delegation comprising six members, including the Standing Rapporteur for South Asia, from the European Parliament Committee on International Trade, met with the Leader of the Opposition and the Tamil National Alliance, R. Sampanthan at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament today.
Sampanthan apprised the delegation on the current political situation. He told the delegation, “the former regime moved away from democratic principles and as a result, the present government came into power. The present Government’s attitude and approach are different from the former, but their actions are very slow”.
Sampanthan said, this government has made commitments to bring reconciliation and amity between the different communities in the country.
Briefing the delegation on Power-sharing arrangements Sampanthan said:
“ We are wanting a solution within a united, undivided and indivisible Sri Lanka on the basis of the dignity, self-respect and sovereignty of the different people who have historically inhabited certain regions for centuries. The Constitution making processes must recommence and brought to an end early.”
“We want to have substantial power-sharing arrangements in the new Constitution, an arrangement that will enable people to exercise powers in matters that are related to them, and ensured that these powers are not taken back by the center or will not allow the center to interfere” Sampanthan said. “We are being absolutely reasonable in these matters” he told the delegation. “If the government does not deliver it would enable the rise of extremists among our community, and we may be compelled to take a hard line” Sampanthan cautioned.
Answering a question, Sampanthan said, “The Tamil people in this country are hurt and offended that they are always being treated as second-class citizens, we have been insulted and humiliated. Whenever we made political demands violence was unleashed against us. The Tamil people left this country in large numbers because they couldn’t live here anymore,” he said. “We cannot go on like this,” Sampanthan told the delegation.
Reiterating the commitments made by the Government to the international community, he said “the undue delay in repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act remains a serious concern, we are disappointed over it”, he said.
Highlighting the plight of the political prisoners, Sampanthan said: “People are held in custody for many years without a trial being conducted, we want all of them to be released without any further delay.” Further, he said, “the transitional justice processes, the release of lands belonging to civilians and many other assurances given by the government are implemented in a very slow manner”.
Sampanthan urged the delegation to impress upon the government to deliver on these promises, and remind the government that the support of the international community towards the government is conditional and that the obligations on the part of the government must be fulfilled”. He said, “the international community has a responsibility to protect the Tamil people”.
The delegation thanked Sampanthan for his wise statesmanship and pragmatic leadership and assured they will consider his inputs seriously and take it up with their respective governments and with the European Union.