Sri Lanka Tamil party opposes any move to alter demographic pattern in the North
Dec 09, Colombo: Sri Lanka's major Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says the party is opposed to any move to alter the demographic pattern in the North.
TNA Leader R. Sampanthan has said that the Tamil people in the North wanted to re-commence their agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry and other industrial activities in the area and that the military is engaged in cultivating large areas of land in the North especially in areas such as Iranamadu and Keravil.
"There are military cantonments being set up. We are opposed to any move to alter the demographic pattern of these areas," he has observed.
However, he has added that the TNA only wanted the armed forces to be present in these areas without any adverse impact on the day to day lives of the civilians in the North.
"We don't want the armed forces stationed there to subjugate the Tamil people, to make them feel they are not equal citizens of this country. We don't want the armed forces to make our people feel inferior. Our people want to live with self-respect and dignity. That is all," the TNA leader said.
"We are not demanding the total withdrawal of the armed forces. They should be there as they are in any other part of the country," Sampanthan has said, adding that they can maintain their intelligence and carry out surveillance since it is their legitimate duty.
Sun, Dec 9, 2012, 08:54 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Dec 09, Colombo: Sri Lanka's major Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says the party is opposed to any move to alter the demographic pattern in the North.TNA Leader R. Sampanthan has said that the Tamil people in the North wanted to re-commence their agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry and other industrial activities in the area and that the military is engaged in cultivating large areas of land in the North especially in areas such as Iranamadu and Keravil.
"There are military cantonments being set up. We are opposed to any move to alter the demographic pattern of these areas," he has observed.
However, he has added that the TNA only wanted the armed forces to be present in these areas without any adverse impact on the day to day lives of the civilians in the North.
"We don't want the armed forces stationed there to subjugate the Tamil people, to make them feel they are not equal citizens of this country. We don't want the armed forces to make our people feel inferior. Our people want to live with self-respect and dignity. That is all," the TNA leader said.
"We are not demanding the total withdrawal of the armed forces. They should be there as they are in any other part of the country," Sampanthan has said, adding that they can maintain their intelligence and carry out surveillance since it is their legitimate duty.
