Tamil leaders in the North-East of Sri Lanka are concerned that the new Sri Lankan government’s actions do not address issues of Tamils desire for greater autonomy and the withdrawal of military troops from the North-East, reports the Washington Post.
The paper added that instead, they are convinced that the new Sri Lankan government’s actions are ‘symbolic’ and not enough to reconcile the Tamils in the North-East with the majority Sinhalese in the south.
When asked if Sri Lanka’s initial commitment to returning military occupied land was a step on the path to reconciliation, a law lecturer at the University of Jaffna and spokesperson for the Tamil Civil Society Forum, Kumaravadivel Guruparan, said,
“It’s too early. Unless you address these issues head on you’re not going to see any true progress.”
Commenting on Sri Lanka’s announcement launching a domestic inquiry, Mr Kumaravadivel said, that the Tamil community is sceptical because earlier panels have shown no tangible outcomes and victims have not been consulted in the government’s new process.
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