A solution to the conflict, or issues affecting the minorities, must first be discussed and negotiated, with the involvement of all interested parties in the island. That is the only way, a sustainable solution that is fair and reasonable to all, can be arrived at, said Bernard Goonetilleke, Sri Lankan Ambassador in the U.S. at a Seminar in the USA.

One way to address the issue is to consult the Tamil people in the north and the east and such an opportunity has arisen at least in the east, as a result of the bold decision taken by President Rajapaksa, to go ahead with provincial council elections in the Eastern Province in May, he added.

He further said:

“All in all, the governing party, the opposition party, the parties representing the LTTE and its breakaway group, the TMVP, the SLMC and many others, will join the hustings.
people of the Eastern Province .

“The international community, with its concern for stability in Sri Lanka, should move in and assist generously, in developing the Eastern Province, and wean the youth away from the culture of violence, by providing them with employment opportunities.”