Link language essential for mutual trust -Minister

The ability of disparate linguistic backgrounds to communicate with each other freely - either in their own language or through a common link language is essential for guaranteeing mutual trust among communities, Plantations Industries Minister and Presidential Special Envoy on Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe said yesterday.

The minister delivering his address on Reconciliation at the Defence Seminar 2012 - Towards Lasting Peace and Stability, said language has proved sometimes an intractable issue in ensuring unity and cohesion.

"This is a challenge that all multicultural states face," he said. Minister Samarasinghe said the government has accorded equal official status to Sinhala and Tamil languages and have recognised English as a link language."An overarching policy that will bring people together through guaranteeing their language rights has been a lack which has now been addressed," he said.

The minister said the government will continue to address these issues in a systematic manner.

"Some areas in which progress has been made include the rapid and sustainable resettlement IDPs, demining rehabilitation of ex-combatants, implementation of the language policy, the recruitment of Tamil speaking police officers, the removal of military personnel from assisting in civil administration in the North, making available land previously used for security purposes for resettlement and return and carrying out a comprehensive census in the Northern province," he said.