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TNA meets Premier

by Ranga Jayasuriya

A Tamil National Alliance's (TNA) delegation which met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during the weekend demanded the release or legal action for Tamil political prisoners taken into custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, TULF Parliamentarian and Senior Vice President Ananda Sangaree told the Daily News, yesterday.

"The Prime Minister informed us that the matter had already been taken up by Dr. Jayalath Jayawardana and the Attorney General and the cases have been categorised according to their seriousness," Sangaree said.

The Premier promised the delegation that legal action or the release of the prisoners would be determined according to the seriousness of the offences.

"Some Tamil youth have been imprisoned merely for being unable to provide information about LTTE activities. So we feel it is very important to do something about their release," he said.

Sangaree also said the delegation informed the Prime Minister that the Local Government Polls could not be held in Jaffna under the 'existing circumstances'.

" People in Chavakachcheri and Point Pedro are displaced and some parts of Delft are still under the control of militants of a Tamil party who have not yet been disarmed," he said.

But Sangaree said the Prime Minister might not intervene to postpone the election 'since it is the business of the Elections Commissioner who has been bestowed with new powers'.

Sangaree said the delegation reiterated its demand for the de-proscription of the LTTE. Asked what was the Premier's response, the TULF Parliamentarian said: "He was cautious, but it is our role as the representatives of the Tamil people to bring forward proposals for the success of the peace process". 

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