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| Sunday, 19 June 2005 |
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Editorial
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P-toms would bring all communities together - Prof. Ven. Kumburugamuwe Vajira Thera by Anura Maitipe The panic created by JVP and JHU over the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) with protests, fasts unto death was misleading as P-TOMS would not pave the way for separatism as the JVP and JHU feared. Instead it would bring all communities together, All Island Clergy Organisation President Pro. Ven. Kumburugamuwe Vajira Thera told a news conference last week. The inability to address some of the national issues by certain political parties since Independence has resulted in the massacre of thousands of lives and destruction of billions worth of properties, the Thera said. Therefore at this crucial hour it is the duty of all parties to assist President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in her bold effort to rebuild the tsunami affected areas in the Northern peninsula. It was a matter for regret that the Indo-Lanka Treaty in 1987 was opposed by the SLFP and the JVP saying that India would amalgamate North of Sri Lanka as its 27th State. But both these parties have now realised the blunder they committed against that treaty. When the Provincial Council system was introduced in 1987, the JVP was opposed to it. But now the JVP is also involved in the same process. When the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam Pact was brought in 1956, then it was opposed by the UNP. Again when the Dudley-Chelvanayagam Pact was brought in 1965 it was opposed by the SLFP but today all these parties have realised that if either party had supported any of these pacts the North East conflict would have been easily averted, he said. The tsunami disaster has become a blessing in disguise as it has given an opportunity to create unity among the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslims. The LTTE which was clamouring for nothing less than a separate State has now agreed to work together for a period of one year to rebuild tsunami affected areas in the North and East. The P-TOMS consists of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim members and it would work at national, regional and district level only in the tsunami affected areas. There is nothing to fear in this and this is a positive start towards unity among Sinhala, Tamil and Muslims and achieving lasting peace in the country, he said.
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