President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed the United Nations (UN) that the Tamil diaspora would be invited for discussions to resolve issues in Sri Lanka through an internal mechanism, and that he would not hesitate to grant a Presidential pardon to Tamil youths in prolonged detention upon the conclusion of the legal proceedings concerning them. “The President said that the internal issues of Sri Lanka should be resolved through an internal mechanism of the country and said the Tamil Diaspora would be invited for discussions in this regard,” a press release from the President’s Media Division (PMD) said yesterday (20). The President pointed out that many youths who were arrested as suspects over terrorist activities were released after he came to power. The President also told Guterres that there are no attacks on protesters under his government and that a separate area has been set aside for protesters near his office. President Rajapaksa also explained the engagement with civil society organisations to bring about development and reconciliation in the country,” the PMD statement further said.

Source: The Nation September 20, 2021 20:00 UTC