The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has called on the new government to resolve Sri Lanka’s longstanding ethnic conflict, which led to a quarter-century civil war.
R. Sampanthan, MP and party leader told Parliament on Tuesday that the failure to resolve the issue has caused many of the nation’s ills. It was Parliament’s first session since President Maithripala Sirisena won election on January 8.
“The Tamil question needs to be addressed so as to evolve a permanent, reasonable, workable and durable solution within the framework of a united, undivided Sri Lanka,” Mr. Sampanthan said.
The previous President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, led a military campaign to crush Tamil Tiger rebels, who fought to create an independent state for Tamils. Mr. Rajapaksa never fulfilled a promise to share political power with Tamils in the country’s north and east.
