The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran said the Sri Lankan government was evading the political question by stating false claims of LTTE links.
"The Government is now saying it cannot hold talks with the TNA because we are representatives of the LTTE. The Government is trying to evade resolving the Tamil issue citing these false claims," he told a press conference on Thursday.
"We do not have any hidden agenda. We strongly believe a solution to the issue in a united country and we do not want a separate state,” Sumanthiran said.
“Minister Susil Premajayantha had said recently the government is ready to resume talks if TNA makes a request. Why should we make a request? It was the government that backed away from talks,” he added.
His comments come following a TNA meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi this week, who urged a political solution in Sri Lanka "that addresses the aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, dignity, justice and self respect within the framework of a united Sri Lanka".
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
