Tamil MPs condemn UK demo

http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/12/06/news01.asp

Tamil MPs condemn UK demo

Rasika Somarathna and Subashini Senanayake
*Says blow to interracial harmony
*Want diaspora to invest in North
Colombo district Parliamentarian Praba Ganeshan and Nuwara Eliya district Parliamentarian P Digambaram condemned the disruptive actions of the Tamil diaspora during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent visit to the UK.
Addressing the media Saturday they urged the Tamil diaspora to assist Government efforts to rebuild the lives of the displaced Tamil people in the North and East if they were genuinely concerned about helping them.
The two MPs said that they had convened the media briefing to convey their strong protest against the disruptive actions of the Tamil diaspora which according to them was backed by a few Sinhala elements during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent visit to the UK.
Praba Ganeshan MP described the actions instigated by the Tamil diaspora in London as a blow to the ever growing harmony between the Tamil and Sinhala communities since the end of conflict and one which had put the local Tamil community in difficulty.
He said that what the Tamil diaspora should do was to help strengthen the bond of friendship between the Sinhala and Tamil communities while helping to alleviate the difficulties of their colleagues in the North and East if they were genuinely concerned. P. Digambaram MP said that the Government since the end of the conflict was doing its utmost to help the displaced civilians and rebuild the conflict ravaged areas.
“In this effort the Government has made enormous strides in its attempts at reconciliation and rebuilding,” he noted.
“In this backdrop, staging protests outside the country would only hurt the Tamil people and the progress they have made,” he added.
“If the diaspora needed to support the Tamils, they should visit the North and East, and rebuild the schools as well as the roads ravaged during the war. They could also invest in Sri Lanka,” he added.
The duo said that only the President and the Government had the capacity and the willingness to help the conflict affected people and not the opposition groups.
They said that the Tamil National Alliance too was aware of the fact. They urged the Tamil Diaspora to strengthen the hands of the President and join with Government efforts at rebuilding the lives of conflict affected Tamil people.