{"id":139023,"date":"2023-12-15T16:01:51","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T23:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=139023"},"modified":"2023-12-15T16:01:51","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T23:01:51","slug":"tamil-political-parties-suspicious-of-govt-gtf-initiative-flay-tna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2023\/12\/15\/tamil-political-parties-suspicious-of-govt-gtf-initiative-flay-tna\/","title":{"rendered":"Tamil political parties suspicious of govt.-GTF initiative, flay TNA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Courtesy The Island<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Suresh P wants to know who represented govt. at Nepal talks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Suresh Premachandran has demanded to know who represented Sri Lanka at talks in Kathmandu, Nepal in April this year, which led to the so-called Himalaya Declaration jointly prepared by the \u2018Sangha for a Better Sri Lanka\u2019 and the Global Tamil Forum (GTF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was presented to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on 12 Dec., in Parliament. Premachandran has questioned the validity of the GTF\u2019s initiative.Pointing out that those who participated in Kathmandu talks on behalf of Sri Lanka weren\u2019t known, Premachanran alleged there was no transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ex-MP has asked why the Buddhist prelates who blessed GTF spokesperson Suren Surendiran couldn\u2019t request President Ranil Wickremesinghe to implement the 13 Amendment to the Constitution fully. Premachandran stressed that granting police powers would be the initial step in confidence-building measures. Repealing of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) would also be necessary, he said<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ex-MP has asked whether the GTF is used by the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government to build international goodwill for the incumbent administration ahead of forthcoming UNHRC sessions. Premachandran claimed that the GTF was a much weaker grouping now against the backdrop of many influential Diaspora groups quitting the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TNPF MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, too, has condemned the government- GTF move that has attracted praise and appreciation of some members of the parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaffna District MP Ponnambalam accused the GTF of whitewashing the government regardless of an ongoing severe crackdown on human rights in predominantly Tamil speaking areas. Ponnambalam who had been at loggerheads with the TNA, called the TNA as an \u2018extension\u2019 of GTF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The TNPF is represented by two MPs whereas the TNA is the third largest party with 10 members in parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MP Ponnambalam has alleged that the TNA is engaged in desperate efforts to protect its share of the northern vote in view of next year\u2019s national election and provided much needed backing for the government through the TNA. He has revealed that the TNPF\u2019s central committee rejected Surendiran\u2019s request for a meeting. Alleging that GTF\u2019s actions had harmed Tamil people in the past, Premachandran asserted that the ongoing move was part of that strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SLPP MP and retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera said that whatever the criticism he appreciated Surendiran\u2019s declaration that he wouldn\u2019t support a separate state during discussions with a group of MPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Kalupahana Piyarathana Thera, convener of \u2018Sangha for a Better Sri Lanka\u2019, addressed the gathering at the parliamentary complex and expressed his views on the \u2018Himalaya Declaration\u2019. Ven. Thera pointed out that this document is open for discussion and amendments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surendiran said that after 39 years, during his visit to Jaffna, he met the Tamil, Muslim Christian people and priests and they unanimously accepted that this national task should have been implemented earlier.Sources said that the GTF delegation also had an opportunity to meet US Ambassador in Colombo Julie Chung. (SF)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Courtesy The Island Suresh P wants to know who represented govt. at Nepal talks Former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Suresh Premachandran has demanded to know who represented Sri Lanka at talks in Kathmandu, Nepal in April this year, which led to the so-called Himalaya Declaration jointly prepared by the \u2018Sangha for a Better Sri […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-139023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139023\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}