“We must try to come to a negotiated settlement to this problem” – President to people of Jaffna
[November 23, 2001 - 12.25 GMT]

President Chandrika Kumaratunga addressing residents of the North via satellite from Colombo Wednesday, promised to bring more reforms to develop the North and the East. She also called upon all peace loving Tamil citizens to join hands with the government to restore peace and harmony in Sri Lanka.

President Kumaratunga said that her government has understood the root causes of the present ethnic conflict and invited the rebels to abandon the “politics of violence”.

“The whole world is now against terrorism and the International Community is now on our side and we must try to come to a negotiated settlement to this problem,” the President said.  “We can persuade the LTTE to come to the negotiating table with the help of the International community,” She added.

President Kumaratunga in her speech via satellite which lasted one hour, answered questions posed by the Tamil people residing in Jaffna. They brought several personal grievances to her attention such as unemployment and permanency of employment.

Speaking of the development in Jaffna during the past seven years, she said that this was the first time in post independent Sri Lanka that a government was able to carry out “massive” and “comprehensive” development in the North and the East in the face of the terror and violence of the LTTE.

She said that money had been allocated to establish permanent power stations in Jaffna and new investments would be channeled to the North to address the problem of unemployment in the region.

She pointed out that the development of the North and the East did not reach the expected targets in the face of the LTTE’s violence and obstructions.

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Last Updated Date: November 23, 2001  -  12.25 GMT.