Sri Lankan groups meeting in London have launched a new joint campaign group, Solidarity for Peace in Sri Lanka (SFP) and are calling for the broadest possible support.
The decision flowed from a meeting on February 17 with the theme "Prospects and the path to peace in Sri Lanka". The discussion was led by Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne, General Secretary of the Nava Samaja Party and Professor S Ganesan.
Representatives of several organisations who are committed working towards a peaceful and just settlement of the national question in Sri Lanka participated.
The main outcome was the unanimous acceptance of a resolution to set up the campaign group Solidarity for Peace in Sri Lanka (SFP)
"We resolve that this meeting agrees to set up the group Solidarity for Peace in Sri Lanka (SFP), to carry out a broad social democratic campaign on an international scale to promote the efforts to:
• Prevent a war and establish the conditions for peace in a united Sri Lanka on the basis of federal states
• Ensure the right to life for the people of all races and safeguard their human rights
• End the practice of racism and all forms of oppression by the parties to the conflict
The objectives and the proposed campaign actions were formulated on the basis of the following points raised and accepted during the discussion
• There is widespread and strong opposition to the war and it is accepted that the war is not winnable by either side.
- Left and democratic forces support a federal states solution strategy which ensures rights to individual states with a strong and democraticcentral government
• There are formidable obstacles to peace posed by vested interests both local and
including the agents of Global Capitalism
• One third of Jaffna is occupied by the Sri Lankan Army and such a situation is not conducive to achieving a settlement to the conflict.
• Human rights violations of all parties to the conflict must be ended and the Paramilitary groups must be disbanded.
• World wide campaigns to create and sustain international pressures will be a contributing factor to get the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to return to the negotiations, in order to seek an interim solution as a forerunner to establishing the basis for a permanent settlement
This Campaign needs to be carried out on a broad democratic basis to get the support of left and democratic organisations and individuals.
It is planned to initiate campaign meetings in several centres of the world including Britain, France, Candada, Australia and Germany.
We appeal to all those who support the above resolution and objectives to join in our activities and support our efforts.
On behalf of Solidarity for Peace in Sri Lanka:
Vickramabahu Karunaratne,
D Chapple
S Ganesan
Dr S P Wickremasinghe
S Varathakumar
C Vithanage
B Chandana
N Gengatahran
N Sabesan
S Peris
C Antonidas
PR David"