The Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council called on the Sri Lankan government to lift the ban on all Tamil diaspora groups, in order to “make use of their talents and wealth for our betterment”.
Speaking in Jaffna on Thursday Justice C V Wigneswaran called for the de-proscribing all Tamil diaspora groups, and not just a partial lifting of a ban on the organisations, as was announced by the current government last year.
“Having been a lawyer for over 50 years and half that period as a Judge, I am quite conscious of the security concerns of the State,” said Justice Wigneswaran. “But we must stop looking at our people through a terrorist mindset.”
“It would have been better if an independent official investigation had been conducted with prior criteria in place,” he said.
Drawing on his recent meetings with the Tamil diaspora in both Toronto and London, the chief minister added that “many feel that some of the proscribed persons and organisations still unreleased are victims of political bias and prejudice”.
He noted the keenness of the diaspora to get involved in projects on the ground, however said “they are reluctant to embark on a visit to Sri Lanka on account of the lingering concerns the government and its officials have regarding the Tamil Diaspora”.