SRI LANKA: Unity in opposition to war

SRI LANKA: Unity in opposition to war

The Sri Lankan government of Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga was elected in 1994 on a promise to withdraw the Sri Lankan armed forces from the Tamil homeland and achieve an "honourable" solution to the war.

Increasingly, the government is being criticised for its inability to end the war against the Tamil people, and for the economic policies it is pursuing under pressure from multinational corporations and international financiers, which are resulting in widespread misery, even amongst the Sinhala population.

On April 25, up to 3000 people demonstrated for peace, freedom and democracy in a rally jointly organised by the Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP), the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Muslim United Liberation Front. They called for an end to the war and repression being carried out against the Tamil people.

A public meeting held at the conclusion of the rally condemned the military barbarism and racism of the ruling People's Alliance government and the inability of it and United National Party opposition to resolve the conflict.

Vickramabahu Karunarathne, a member of the politburo of the NSSP, stated on April 24 that the time had come for the oppressed of all communities "to get together and overthrow this exploitative setup and establish peace and democracy with the right to self determination to the Tamil speaking people".

BY SUSAN PRICE

From GLW issue 403