The Tamil National Alliance should capitalise on the leverage they hold in potentially defeating a no-confidence motion being brought against Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, and set Tamil political demands as condition for their support, Tamil civil society members have said.
In a press conference at the Jaffna Press Club on Tuesday, representatives of nine civil society organisations put forward the following demands as suggestions for conditions of the TNA’s support for the Prime Minister:
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Immediate repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act
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Unconditional and immediate release of Tamil political prisoners and improved livelihood schemes for former fighters
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Military forces to withdraw from civilian activities
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Immediate cancellation of the ‘Mahaveli settlement scheme’ and its colonisation of the North
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Powers of district government offices to be handed back to the provincial councils
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Encroachment of Tamil lands by the Forestry Department and Archaeology Department to be halted immediately
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Tamil representatives to be consulted on economic development and investment in Tamil regions
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Sinhalese colonisation of Tamil fishing spaces to be halted
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Tamil government agents to be appointed in Vavuniya and Mannar
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The status of the Kalmunai Tamil divisional secretariat to be upgraded
The demands were put forward by: Tamil Lawyers Association; Tamil Civil Society Forum; Ceylon Teachers Union; Jaffna University Labourers Union; Social Science Research Centre; National Organisation for the Release of Political Prisoners; Malayaga Social Research Centre; Centre for a Green Future; and Vadamarachchi East Citizens Committee.