Thursday, March 31, 2011

Go beyond 13th amendment, India tells TNA

India has instructed Sri Lanka’s main Tamil political party, The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to go beyond the 13th Amendment when they hold discussions with the Sri Lanka government on power devolution.

Jaffna District TNA Parliamentarian Mavai Senadhirajah said however, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has categorically informed that the police powers would not and could not be devolved under any circumstances, during their recent powwow with the government representatives.


“India advised us to demand something beyond the 13th Amendment from the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration at a discussion we had with the External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna at the Indian Consulate in Jaffna during his February visit to Sri Lanka,” Mr. Senadhirajah told Daily Mirror.

He said the TNA has prepared a paper to be submitted to the government at the meeting scheduled to be held on April 7th which includes a basis for negotiation.

Mr. Senadhirajah stressed that the Tamils do not have confidence in the 13th Amendment and as a basis to resolve the ethnic issue and it does not meet the aspirations of the Tamil community. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)

DM