Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan called for Sri Lanka’s new constitution to accept the long standing goal of recognising the identity and dignity of the Tamil speaking people.
Speaking at the launch of the Interim Report of the Steering Committee on Sri Lanka’s constitution, Mr Sampanthan said,
“Reasonable and acceptable constitutional arrangements recognising their identity and dignity have been a long standing goal of the Tamil speaking pople. There are many such arrangements the World over. Consequences of non-resolution have had diverse ramifications on the Tamil people and the whole country.”
The TNA leader further stressed that the constitutional talks had been conducted within a “framework of a united undivided and indivisible Sri Lanka,” adding,
“This is the framework which the Constitution will be evolved and which all of us will voluntarily acknowledge and accept.”
In their submission to the constitutional steering committee report the TNA called for a federal set up that saw re-merging of the Northern and Eastern provinces with greater devolution of power including the ability to raise Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).