Toronto, 04 September (Asiantribune.com):

North will be cleared soon from the terrorists and the people of the North will be soon enjoying the same freedom and democracy which their Eastern and Southern brothers and sisters enjoy.

Dr. Palitha Kohona, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs participated as a special guest at the meeting arranged by the Canadian Democratic Tamil Cultural Association at Scarborough Civic Centre, Toronto.

Dr. Rajendran, President of the Association, in his welcome speech, made a reference to the problems of the Tamil Diaspora which has been threatened and intimidated by the LTTE. He also brought out that the Government of Sri Lanka needs to address the problems of Sri Lankan Tamils living in Sri Lanka and to bring a solution within the frame of the Sri Lankan Constitution which is acceptable to all the communities living in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Palitha Kohona in his brief speech said that the Government of Sri Lanka very clearly understands the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils and it’s taking all appropriate steps to find an amicable settlement to the Tamil issue. He also pointed out that it is important that sensitive issues are solved smoothly.

For a sustainable solution, it is also important to win the consensus of the majority community.Dr. Kohona also said the process for a settlement is on and one should understand that it needs time to settle a conflict that has existed for well over 25 years.

While referring to the army advancement in the north, he said the Government of Sri Lanka has taken every possible measure to avoid civilian causalities; that is also one of the reasons our military advancement is too slow, just for the simple reason to safeguard our citizens.

He also noted that the Government followed the very same step in Eastern province too and said most of the displaced people in the East have returned and the rehabilitation process is in full swing. After his speech, some of the participants raised questions about the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution, for which Dr. Kohona said, “It’s already in our Constitution and it’s only a matter of implementation”.

He also said that, very soon, the north will be also cleared from Terrorists, so that the people of the north will be able to enjoy the same freedom and democracy which their Eastern and southern brothers & sisters enjoy now. The Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Toronto, Mr. Bandula Jayasekara, also participated in the event.

- Asian Tribune -