President pleased with government efforts to ease hardships of people in the north
[January 9, 2002 - 11.45 GMT]

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has stressed the importance of understanding and accepting the injustices that have been caused to the Tamil people. The comments were made when she addressed members of the Sri Lankan media prior to her departure from Kathmandu at the conclusion of the 11th SAARC Summit Sunday.

The President said that she had an opportunity to talk to all the leaders of SAARC nations. “I also had extended talks with the Indian Prime Minister and the President of Pakistan,” she said. Kumaratunga explained that initially, there had been some doubt on the participation of the two leaders and hence on the Summit itself. But after having what she described as extended talks with both leaders, she said that a new idea had emerged from both sides. “We saw that leaders of both countries, even India, showed a greater interest in lessening the [tension],” she said.

Commenting on Sri Lanka’s peace process, Kumaratunga stressed the need to understand why a certain segment of the population continued to support the LTTE. She said that she was glad the present government had also identified this aspect and taken steps to ease the hardships of the people in the north.

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Last Updated Date: January 9, 2002  - 11.45 GMT.