Two years after the Sri Lankan government declared victory over the separatist Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) on 18 May 2009 , the island nation remains largely peaceful but the lack of trust between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils continue to dominate the political environment .The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) , which was once considered a pro LTTE political party on Wednesday urged people of all communities to hold religious observances in memory of those killed in the war.In a press statement the Tamil National Alliance, called for observing national mourning on May 18. It wants the Tamil people to rededicate themselves to the cause of fighting for an autonomous Northern Province.In a statement, Suresh Premachandran said that rehabilitation has not been done in a proper manner. Even those who were allowed to leave the camps are finding themselves without a means of living. The government was unwilling to give details of the whereabouts of those arrested but now missing. Relatives of the missing are searching for them in vain.’Many sacrificed their lives and many more were driven from their homes and a sizable number of people even fled the country’, TNA parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah said.Another TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran said the party would discuss the devolution of power at the next round of talks with the government on June 23.While accusing the Sri Lankan government of the delaying tactics , he said that the TNA is hopeful of getting the issue resolved soon.Two years on, most of the more than 300,000 who fled the last bout of fighting between mid-2007 and 2009 have resettled; however, nearly 17000 remain in camps, largely outside the northern town of Vavuniya.Meanwhile , the main opposition party , the United National Party (UNP) assured the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that it would support the latter in its talks with the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) regarding a solution to the country’s ethnic problem.Government’s Victory Day celebrations to mark two years of the military defeat of the LTTE will be held on 27th of this month.
News On AIR | May 18, 2011 8:49 PM
TNA calls for observing national mourning on May 18 in Sri Lanka