TNA MPs expelled from meeting between relatives of TPPs and Missing persons with high level Government representatives

The relatives of the TPPs and missing persons had expelled TNA MPs from a meeting with a high level Government delegation, thereafter given the Government one week dead line to take constructive action.

Earlier, a meeting was scheduled  to be held at the Temple Trees, yesterday at 11.30 a.m.  between the relatives of the persons made to disappear and a Government delegation including Minister for Law and Order, Sagala Ratnayake, Minister of Justice, Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, Minister of Prison reforms & Resettlement, D.M.Swaminathan, State Minister for Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, and officials from the Attorney General Department.

A delegation of 24 relatives had gone to Temple trees at the scheduled time, but they have  notices the presence of TNA MPs, M.A.Sumanthiran , Selvam Adaikalanathan and Charles Nirmalanathan among the Ministers.

Thereafter the relatives had firmly said that the TNA MPs had not done anything constructively for the Missing persons so far and that they will participate in the meeting only if the TNA MPs leave the venue. Then the Government Delegation had said that they have invited and to let them participate in the meeting.

However the relatives insisted that they don’t have any faith in them and they should get out from the venue and they should stay, they will walk out from the meeting.

At this time Sumanthiran had said that they have not come here to speak about relatives of few persons who have come but, this is a problem of thousands and they have come here to participate as there is a need for TNA MPs to participate in this meeting and that a few people cannot use this space for their own ends.

But, the relatives had said that although you have spoken about several things you have never found a constructive decision on anything and they adamantly insisted that they should get out. Consequently the MPs went out and meeting began thereafter.

Commenting on the meeting after the end of the meeting the relatives said that they put forward following demands:

*Where are the missing persons?

* Are there any information about them?

*What are your action regarding them?

* What is the status of release of TPPs?

They did not give any reply to our demands. They said that details of relatives of 17 persons who undertook fasting In Vavuniya are to be obtained and special police team has been appointed to make inquiries about them. They said that they don’t have the authority to release TPPs and the TID is blocking the release. All what they said are not acceptable by us. No agreement was reached in the meeting. This Government is also acting like the past government.  They should either release the TPPs or give at least the information on some missing persons within one week, if we are to place confidence on the government.

Hence we have categorically stated to the Ministers that if no action is taken within one week, we will undertake massive protest during Geneva Sessions, they said.