TNA- President talks to continue

by P. Krishnaswamy

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Secretary General Mavai Senathiraja MP told the Sunday Observer that their meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday was very constructive and they looked forward to meeting him again soon to review the situation with regard to the plight of over 275,000 IDPs now housed in welfare villages in Vavuniya, which was the main focus of their three-hour discussion.

The President assured them that all requests on humanitarian problems of the IDPs put forward by the TNA delegation would be taken into consideration and remedial measures taken. The TNA, in turn, pledged support and cooperation to the Government in all its humanitarian relief, resettlement and rehabilitation programs, Senathiraja said.

The TNA reiterated their stance on the early resettlement of the IDPs in their own homes and villages especially with the monsoonal rains expected in the second week of October.

The question of the resettlement of the 26,000 families, consisting of about 100,000 persons, who became IDPs from Valikamam North consequent to the declaration of the High Security Zone in 1990 and a Supreme Court interim order issued one year ago on their resettlement was also placed before the President at the meeting, Senathiraja said adding that Valikamam North was his constituency.

The TNA called for the resettlement of Northern Muslims living as IDPs for two decades in Puttalam, Gampaha, Kurunegla and other Southern districts.