Lanka expresses 'regret' for evicting Tamils from Colombo

Colombo, Jun 10 (UNI) Sri Lanka's government today expressed 'regret' for evicting ethnic minority Tamils from the budget-lodges in the capital city and assured that it would not happen again.

''I express regret for shifting the people to various other places. That should have never been done. It was a big mistake,'' Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake told reporters here today, commenting on the expulsion of hundreds of Tamils by armed policemen from the budget-lodges in Colombo on Thursday.

''We take the full responsibility for it. It was a big mistake,'' Prime Minister Wickramenayake said as the government came under heavy flak locally and internationally for bussing the Tamil civilians from Colombo to the volatile Northern and Eastern regions.

''Whenever a government official did something good the people speak well of that and the credit goes to the government. When an official does something bad the same fate falls on the government.

But we take the full responsibility for all things done by the officials whether they are good or bad. Otherwise, you cannot run a government'', the Prime Minister said.

''It was in this spirit that the Government accepted responsibility for the wrong act of transporting these people,'' he said.

The government's expression of regret came 48 hours after Supreme Court issued an interim order to the police chief and other area police officials to not to continue eviction of Tamils from Colombo.

Prime Minister said that all citizens had the right to live in any part of the country, as guaranteed by the Constitution.

''There was accepted procedure in law to question or detain any person about whom the authorities had reasonable cause for suspicion. People should be able to live without threats and intimidation anywhere in the country, and those who obstruct this act is the violation of the Constitution,'' Mr. Wickramanayake said.

Asked what disciplinary action the Government would take against officials responsible for the shifting of these Tamilians, Mr.

Wickramanayake said it was an internal administrative matter, ''and in any event no comment could be made on this now as it was the subject of a case before court.'' UNI