TNA takes up four major issues with Kerry

Talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday was mainly based on four major issues, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran said.

Premachandran said the issues were resettlement of the war displaced and releasing Security Forces’ occupied lands to their original owners, pruning Security Forces’ presence in the north, missing persons, political prisoners and alleged war crimes and a comprehensive political settlement for the national issue.

“Kerry said he will do his best to help us in resolving the outstanding issues. He said the U.S. will take up these issues with the hierarchy of the government,” Premachandran said.

Kerry met a TNA delegation, which included its leader R. Sampanthan for a 30-minute meeting in Colombo yesterday.

According to Premachndran, Kerry had also agreed that it was important to release the Security Forces’ occupied lands in the conflict affected areas to their original owners.

Kerry had said the new government has already taken some positive measures to solve outstanding issues and added however the U.S. will keep a close eye on future developments. With regard to missing persons and alleged war crimes, Kerry had said the U.S. will keep pushing for justice and accountability. Premachandran said Kerry had also promised to take up the issue of political prisoners with government leaders.

Kerry had reiterated that the U.S. will do its best to support Sri Lanka to achieve true reconciliation and a long standing political solution to the national question.

The U.S. Secretary of State’s visit to the country ended yesterday.

(Daily News)