NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S STATEMENT TO THE MEDIA

Colombo, June 13, 2009

 

A Sri Lankan party demands a political solution to the plight of its Tamil population within a United Sri Lanka.

 

A General Consensus is Essential to Overcome the Tragic Plight of the Tamil People. A political solution with autonomy based on the principle of self-determination that fulfils the national aspirations of the Tamil people and guarantees to them a normal life is essential to transform the current miserable situation of the Tamil people. The New-Democratic Party  appeals to all left, democratic, progressive, Tamil and Muslim political parties and organizations to initiate discussions in order that the political rivalry of the past for dominance is set aside and a people’s democratic political climate based on a pluralistic approach is evolved to enable them to act in consensus to achieve the above goals.

 

In this post-conflict period, three-hundred thousand Tamils, encircled by barbed wire fences, are living a life of misery and unbearable pain. The Tamil people who had lived with the hazards of war for the past thirty years are now living amid terrible political desolation and a sense of intimidation. Pro-people political parties and organizations should take the initiative to rescue the people from this situation. The New-Democratic Party emphasizes that discussions should be commenced for that purpose and consensus reached among leftists for that purpose.

 

In order to achieve it without delay, the New-Democratic Party puts forward the following ten-point proposal. The Party appeals to honest and pro-people parties and organizations to discuss them to arrive at a general consensus, and emphasize as demands.

 

1 A political solution should be found within a united Sri Lanka that will ensure maximum autonomy for the Tamil, Muslim and Hill Country Tamil nationalities of Sri Lanka, based on the right to self-determination within a united Sri Lanka, and to the exclusion of debates on whether the Thirteenth Amendment should or should not be implemented in full.

 

2 Displaced Tamil and Muslim people living in detention camps and other places should soon be allowed to return to resettle in their own dwellings. To avert delays in resettlement, activities relating to reconstruction and restoration of education and health should be expedited. Adequate compensation should be provided for the affected people. The people should not continue to be prevented, on the pretext of security, from returning to their dwellings or engaging in cultivation or fishery.

 

3 The A-9 highway should be opened for free transport of people. The railway line to the North should be soon restored.

 

4 The system of travel passes for transport should be terminated and right to free travel affirmed in order that opportunities are created for agriculture, fishery and marketing.

 

5 Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism legislation should be repealed.

 

6 All political prisoners should be released.

 

7 Total civil administration should be established in the North-East and normal life should be guaranteed for the people there. Democratic rights including the right to life should be guaranteed there and the freedom of opinion and expression established.

 

8 The legal status of Tamil as an official language should be put into practice throughout the country.

 

9 Attempts to establish planned chauvinistic colonization schemes in the North-East should be abandoned.

 

10 The freedom and safety of Tamils living outside the North-East should be ensured in a way that they are not subjected to security hassles or suffer ethnic discrimination.

 

(The above resolution put forward by the Central Committee of the New-Democratic Party was signed and released by SK Senthivel. SK Senthivel, General Secretary, New-Democratic Party)

Top - Home