AJITH SIRIWARDANA 
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Discussed proscribed list with GTF: Mangala
Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera today confirmed that together with Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran he had met Global Tamil Forum representatives in London and discussed the reviewing of the list of organisations and individuals proscribed in a gazette notification.
He was responding to a statement made by Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva the previous day and told parliament that the meeting was briefly attended by Eric Solheim the former Norwegian peace envoy to Sri Lanka, a representative of the South African government and representative of the Swiss government.
The minister said the list had been compiled hurriedly and that some of those included in the list had died several years prior to the listing. He said he discussed the release of prisoners held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in the event charges could not be framed against them.
The minister said the meeting was attended by GTF Strategic Initiative Director Suren Surendiran.
He said the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), had recomended the constructive engagement with the Sri Lanka diaspora with a view to reconciliation among the communities.
The minister underscored the fact that the LLRC was appointed during the tenure of the previous government but unfortunately such important recommendations were disregarded at that time.
He also emphasised that the Sri Lankan diaspora consisted of some 1.5 millions people belonging to all the main communities and as such it was wrong for anyone to mark it with a single ethnic identity.
The minister said this diaspora, representing Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher Communities, consisted of professionals and experts in a wide range of fields and their services should be obtained for the benefit of the country. (Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera)
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