US lawmaker voices concern at violence in SL

Washington, Sept 29: US Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone, the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Sri Lanka, has expressed concern at the growing violence in the Island nation.

Mr Pallone urged its government and Tamil rebels to re-commit themselves to the process of sustaining peace in Sri Lanka.

In a statement on the floor of the House of Representatives, he said they should find a way to ensure the safety and security of all the people in the countrya.

He recalled the statement U S Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher made in June in which he rejected the methods used by the Tamil Tigers but had acknowledged that ''there are legitimate issues raised by the Tamil community and they have a legitimate desire to control their own lives, to rule their own destinies, and to govern themselves in their homeland.'' ''I echo his (Boucher's) sentiment and I support a solution that retains Sri Lanka's unity. Yet, it should grant a level of autonomy to ethnic minorities like the Tamils,'' lawmaker Mr Pallone said.

''We are on the verge of full-scale war in Sri Lanka. The 2002 ceasefire agreement and the peace process in Sri Lanka between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam, (LTTE), is non-existent. The violence is escalating and thousands of Sri Lankan civilians are suffering,'' he said.

''These past few months have resulted in nearly 2,000 deaths, with more than 200,000 displaced persons. The fighting has also blocked access to essential supplies for many parts of the North-Eastern province, cutting off more than 60,000 Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamils from water.

Mr Pallone said, ''hostilities must end and violence must not be the means for resolving ethnic conflict. All efforts must be focused on restoring and sustaining peace, and both parties must swallow their pride for the sake of their nation.''

UNI

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