National Peace Council urges President, Govt. to ensure ground level changes

Saturday, 16 October 2021 00:11 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The National Peace Council (NPC) in a statement has urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Government to complement proposed policy changes with ground level changes. 

It said statements of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the UN General Assembly and more recently at the 72nd anniversary of the Sri Lanka Army had indicated that the Government was contemplating important policy changes. These have included references to the need to “address the issues that gave rise to terrorism” in the country.  At the Army anniversary the president also pledged to bring in a new constitution within the next year.

Earlier in the month in New York at the UN the President said, “It is my Government’s firm intention to build a prosperous, stable and secure future for all Sri Lankans, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or gender. We are ready to engage with all domestic stakeholders, and to obtain the support of our international partners and the United Nations, in this process.” The President also spoke about talking to the diaspora.  These sentiments need to find resonance within the country as well as internationally.

NPC said resolving conflicts that have been long lasting and achieving resolution requires the rebuilding of trust. It noted that the Government had mandated the committee to revise the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to consider the proposals put forward by the previous Government in this regard.  

“In the meantime we request the Government to halt the use of the PTA until the reforms are finalised.  We also call on the Government to release those held under the PTA for long periods of time without trial,” the NPC said. 

It also said reconciliation had been defined to mean transforming a divided past into a shared future.  This is done by rebuilding relationships. “Tamil and Muslim parliamentarians and political parties need to achieve consensus on contentious issues rather than sticking to their own polarising positions.  The emphasis of the Government needs to be to talk now to the elected Tamil and Muslim leaders in the country. We believe that if a course of action such as this is implemented, the ground will be better prepared for the discussion on a new constitution to take place,” NPC added.

 

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