A new organization called “Alliance for Protection of Rights of the People in the East” (APRPE) has been formed with the initiative of the Patriotic National Movement (PNM). The inaugural meeting of this organisation was held at ‘Savsiripaya’ yesterday morning (22).

This meeting was convened by the PNM for which its Co-President Parliamentarian Mr Wimal Weerawansa and the Co-Secretary Dr Gunadasa Amarasekera participated with several political parties..

The meeting was attended by representatives of 7 political parties.

It was the view of the representatives that the North and the East should be separated and they should remain as two separate provinces.

The organisation was unanimous in its decision that, Eastern Province should be separated from the Northern Province. As such, APRPE was founded to apprise the people in the country and protect the rights of the people in the Eastern Province.

The organisation decided to act against threats to the people in the East, abductions and killings. It was the view of the representatives of political parties that although the Indo-Lanka agreement of 1987 was signed against the will of people, alleging that it was to solve the problems of the Tamils it was not an effective agreement.

The alliance of political parties convened by PNM comprised of SLFP, JVP, PNM, National Congress, TMVP (Thamileela Makkal Viduthalar Pulikal lead by Karuna Amman) and United Democratic Organization.

Invitations had been extended to UNP, MEP, JHU, Sinhala Jathike Sangamaya and National United Alliance. But their inability to attend the meeting due to prior engagements was informed.

The representatives agreed to take several measures to get the East separated from the North. They consented not to act as individual parties but as APRPE, a united body in achieving the goal of separating the East from the North.