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| Sunday, 22 January 2006 |
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TUs condemn violence by Ananda Kannangara While condemning the spate of violence, caused by the LTTE and armed proxy groups which resulted in the killings and injury to human lives, country's leading trade unions on Thursday met in Colombo and urged the Government to take action to halt all norms of hostilities being reported from the North and East. At the commencement, the Board members of the National Association for Trade Union Research and Education (NATURE), who organised the meeting expressed their sympathy over the loss of lives of ordinary people, Police personnel and members of armed forces that took place in the North and East in the recent past. Addressing the meeting General Secretary, Ceylon Bank Employees' Union, M. R. Shah said that it was high time for the Government to take immediate action to negotiate with the LTTE with the sole objective of seeking a complete settlement to this most crucial issue. While welcoming the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) which prevented the killings to a greater extent, Shah said that President Mahinda Rajapaksha now has the firm authority to protect the CFA and take a decision to start peace talks in any part of the world with the blessings of majority political parties to end the current violence. General Secretary, Federation of Media Employees Trade Union Dharmasiri Lankapeli said that both the Government forces and the LTTE must take the responsibility for the ugly incidents that took place in the North and East recently. "Therefore it is not too late even now to prepare an agenda focusing on basic principles on peace talks with the participation of both the Government and the LTTE representatives," he said. Administrative Secretary, Ceylon Tamil Teacher's Union S. Saravanabavananda said the Government forces also violated human rights in the recent past and the Government must focus a special attention on some important incidents. The Union is also asking the President to hold an impartial inquiry on such cases and also to withdraw the forces checking points in the densely populated civilian areas. However he commended the CFA and said that the problem must be solved within a United Sri Lanka as admired by the international community. General Secretary, Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya Palith Atukorala said that holding talks with the LTTE is very important and not the venue who the talks. General Secretary, Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya Leslie Devendra said that their union urges the LTTE to end all hostilities and opt for a negotiated settlement of the conflict. He also said that he would discuss with all TU representatives their views in this regard again and will draft a fresh statement to be handed over to the President, the LTTE and other necessary parties. President Public Service Trade Union Federation W. H. Piyadasa,
President, United Federation of Labour Linus Jayathilake, General Secretary,
Ceylon Mercantile Union Bala Tampoe, General Secretary, Ceylon Federation of
Trade Unions D. W. Subasinghe, Adikari Jayaratna, R. Weerasekatra and
several other TU'S Lanka Jathika Estate Workers' Union, Ceylon Workers'
Congress and Industrial and General Workers' Union were also present. |
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