The Northern Provincial Councillor, P. Aingaranesan criticised the new Sri Lankan government's failure to prioritise the issue of missing Tamil civilians and enforced disappearances, stating that the new government must its commitment to reconciliation "in actions, not just in words".
“The Tamil people thought the new regime assumed power claiming to make a change will bring change in their lives too. It in on the basis of that belief, they defeated the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa using their votes," Mr Aingaranesan told the Uthayan newspaper on Monday, adding that the new government should act honourably.
“The whereabouts of the thousands of Tamil women and men arrested by the army is still unknown; including several hundreds of people were kidnapped by unidentified persons and disappeared; many, who are [LTTE] cadres, surrendered to the army at the end of the armed conflict; and those who were handed over to the army by their relatives. The new government should provide an answer to their relatives that are waiting every day for their return," he added.
“The new government is serious in its efforts to find missing vehicles from the Presidential Secretariat's Office but it does not seem to show any interest in finding those who are missing for the past 6 years despite their relatives’ pleas to find them."
Highlighting the new president, Maithripala Sirisena's statement that there is yet to be genuine reconciliation between the North and the South since the end of the armed conflict, Mr Aingaranesan said that Mr Sirisena "must include the finding and returning of the disappeared within his 100 day program as the first phase of goodwill towards a reconciliation process.”
Noting a recent address by Sri Lanka's state minister of defence, Ruwan Wijewardena, where Mr Wijewardena said that the army camps will stay within the Tamil areas, Mr Aingaranesan added:
"Our people are displaced and in camps, but the army is occupying their lands, as well as the lands and buildings belonging to Northern Provincial Council. Therefore the government should take action to remove the army from here and to hand back lands to owners. There can only be reconciliation between the North and the south if the government shows it in action, not just in words”
“The Tamil people thought the new regime assumed power claiming to make a change will bring change in their lives too. It in on the basis of that belief, they defeated the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa using their votes," Mr Aingaranesan told the Uthayan newspaper on Monday, adding that the new government should act honourably.
“The whereabouts of the thousands of Tamil women and men arrested by the army is still unknown; including several hundreds of people were kidnapped by unidentified persons and disappeared; many, who are [LTTE] cadres, surrendered to the army at the end of the armed conflict; and those who were handed over to the army by their relatives. The new government should provide an answer to their relatives that are waiting every day for their return," he added.
“The new government is serious in its efforts to find missing vehicles from the Presidential Secretariat's Office but it does not seem to show any interest in finding those who are missing for the past 6 years despite their relatives’ pleas to find them."
Highlighting the new president, Maithripala Sirisena's statement that there is yet to be genuine reconciliation between the North and the South since the end of the armed conflict, Mr Aingaranesan said that Mr Sirisena "must include the finding and returning of the disappeared within his 100 day program as the first phase of goodwill towards a reconciliation process.”
Noting a recent address by Sri Lanka's state minister of defence, Ruwan Wijewardena, where Mr Wijewardena said that the army camps will stay within the Tamil areas, Mr Aingaranesan added:
"Our people are displaced and in camps, but the army is occupying their lands, as well as the lands and buildings belonging to Northern Provincial Council. Therefore the government should take action to remove the army from here and to hand back lands to owners. There can only be reconciliation between the North and the south if the government shows it in action, not just in words”