Colombo: The peace proposals of senior Sri Lankan minister S. Thondaman regarding the resolution of the vexing ethnic crisis have drawn sharp reactions. The latest from the powerful Sinhala Buddhist clergy was a call for his resignation. In a unanimous resolution the Galle district Maha Sangh Sabha decided to request that President Ranasinghe Premadasa remove Thondaman from the cabinet.
Thondamen who leads the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWO) has been mediating between the government and the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He plans to visit the LTTE strong hold of Jaffna for direct talks with the rebels who are fighting for a separate homeland for the Tamils.
“Thondaman’s peace proposals suggest the merger of and autonomy for the north and eastern provinces of the island. The clergy and some Sinhala politicians vehemently oppose a merger which they fear will endanger the unity of Sri Lanka. The proposals have also come in for criticism from the media. An independent daily “The Island” said in an editorial “Given the dominance of the LTTE within the Tamil movement and their bitter antipathy towards other Tamil groups the CWC proposals are tantamount to going down on ones knees to the LTTE.” It also said that any settlement of the ethnic problem must take into account the aspirations of all communities including Muslims the non-LTTE Tamils and the majority of people in the eastern province.
The Sri Lankan government has not taken an official position on Thondaman’s proposals president Premadasa said in a recent address to the nation nor would the ruling national party take any unilateral steps. The problem will have to be resolved through consensus among all political parties it is hoped that the select committee of parliament will find some solution. Thondaman was also criticized by the parliamentary committee members who objected to the premature publicity of proposals under its study.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 24, 1992
