Prez tells TNA govt. planning to release long-term detainees

The government was working on the release of suspects held in long-term detention, taking further action regarding suspects who have not been charged or prosecuted, the launch of a truth-finding mechanism, the amendment of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the resolving of issues related to missing persons, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said yesterday during a meeting with representatives of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at the Presidential Secretariat.

President Rajapaksa added that as the leader of the entire nation, he would pay his attention to all citizens equally.

The country could develop only by working together to achieve the aspirations of all its people, including those who lived in the North and the East, the President told the TNA delegation.

TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said that he hoped to see the country moving towards prosperity with a political solution in a united Sri Lanka.

“We must unite as a country. It is the responsibility of everyone to work together to overcome the current challenges as one country and one nation,” Sampanthan said, adding that he would like to see Sri Lanka becoming the Switzerland of the East.

During the meeting attention was paid on those who are held in long-term detention, release of lands that have been previously used for cultivation, investigation of missing persons, discussion of amendments to the new Constitution after translating it into Tamil and Sinhala, and the establishment of a North-East Development Fund.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministers Prof. G.L. Peiris, Chamal Rajapaksa and Ali Sabry, Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, TNA MPs M.A. Sumanthiran, Charles Nirmalanathan, Sivagnanam Sridharan, Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran, Thavaraja Kalai Arasan, Selvam Adaikkalanathan, S. Noharathalingam and Govindan Karunakaram were also present on the occasion.