SRI LANKA-One of the members of “Tamil Diaspora for Dialogue” Mrs Rajeswari Balasubramaniam yesterday (Apr 6) appealed to LTTE leader Prabhakaran for the release of innocent civilians trapped in the “No Fire Zone” She was one of the 21 intellectuals who arrived in Sri Lanka last week.

Mrs Balasubramaniam is a writer by profession and Human Rights campaigner who lives in the UK. The other members of the team comprising lawyers, writers, doctors, professors, academics from UK, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Germany Canada and Australia.

“This is the time for us, Tamils, to rethink anew whether war and destruction is the final solution for Tamils who have lost thousands of them when one looks back after almost 20 years”, he said. “We Tamils who have borne the brunt of suppression, oppression, battered and bruised over the years must forget the past and think anew. We know that it is not easy to forget the past after what we went through was hell for many years it is not easy but you have to forget the past” she asserted.

“This message is especially for all those members of the ‘Tamil Diaspora’ who are especially beating the war drums from the cool comfort and safety of their homes in foreign capitals around the world. They must think anew and learn to live in a united Sri Lanka where all could enjoy equal rights”, she said.

They had met ministers Rohitha Bogollagama, Prof. Tissa Vitharna, Dew Gunasekera Senior Presidential Advisor MP Basil Rajapaksa Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga Secretary Justice Ministry Suhada Gamlath Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohonne, Secretary UDA Dr. Prathap Ramanujhan, Secretary Social Services Ministry Mrs Rajeswary Jegarajasingham and former IGP and Presidential advisor Chandra Fernando.

Another member Dr. Rajasingham Narendiran said that the delegation members were highly impressed by Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa during his three hour presentation on Re-awakening of the East program of the Government “We found that through the Central Government they had done tremendous work which we would have preferred if it were implemented by the Provincial Government”, he said.

He further said they requested the government any surrendering LTTE cadre should be treated with humanity and rehabilitated. Mrs. Balasubramaniam said that it is time for LTTE leader to rethink how productively he could have used his abilities by creating a new Tamil community by entering the democratic path
Courtesy: The Island