Press Release

The government has announced that all restrictions on fishing in the northern seas have been removed. It has also stated that the A9 Highway that connects the Jaffna peninsula to the rest of the country would also be opened for commercial transportation.These two measures will help to restore normalcy in the day to day living of the people. The National Peace Council believes that this positive approach of the government needs to be extended to other areas of national life.

In particular we request the government to relax the tight security measures that make the northern parts of the country very difficult to access due the need to pass through security checkpoints. Vehicles need to obtain special military permission to transit, even to towns such as Vavuniya and Mannar that have long been under military control. The interaction and free mingling of people from the north and south for personal and business reasons is an essential component of the normalization process, which continues to be obstructed by the need to obtain government approval.

One of the stark realities of the post-war phase has been the continuation of tight security measures throughout the country, hampering the movement of people and goods, adding costs to economic activities. While alertness on the part of the security forces is necessary yet the need for greater security related checks and barriers must be weighed against the dead weight costs such barriers impose on economic activity. The economic cost may not be immediately visible but it is there.

We hope that the decision of the government to start the process of local government elections in the north will facilitate the opening up of north to the freedom of movement guaranteed in the Sri Lankan constitution. In addition to promoting more opportunities for reconciliation, the economy will be strengthened and new livelihood opportunities will be provided to thousands of people who are now languishing in poverty despite their willingness to earn their living.

The National Peace Council is an independent and non partisan organisation that works towards a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. It has a vision of a peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka in which the freedom, human rights and democratic rights of all the communities are respected. The policy of the National Peace Council is determined by its Governing Council of 20 members who are drawn from diverse walks of life and belong to all the main ethnic and religious communities in the country.

Source：

National Peace Council
of Sri Lanka
12/14 Purana Vihara Road
Colombo 6
Tel:  2818344, 2854127, 2819064
Tel/Fax:2819064
E Mail:  npc@sltnet.lk
Internet:  www.peace-srilanka.org