Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wicremanayake told the House that it was not the intention of the government to starve any community and that his government would take steps to dispatch food to the East. The Prime Minister was replying to a question raised by TNA Leader R.Sampanthan.

TNA leader R.Sampanthan told the House that the government repeatedly telling the House that it would take early steps, won’t help the suffering people and instead the government must ensure that the food reaches the starving Tamil people.

TNA leader R.Sampanthan’s strong remainder is laudable for it opens the eyes of the government. He has told the government that by dispatching the essential provisions it could save the people from serious difficulties.

But nothing tangible seems to be happening. The security forces are more concerned with displacing the people from Vaharai. The President and the Prime Minister seem to be double tongued. They speak one thing and do another. Whom are they trying to satisfy by such moves? Is it the strategy of the government to make the international community to believe what they say?

There is another matter that is noticeable in the present context. Whatever orders that are given by the government fall on the deaf ears of the security forces. Those orders are not carried out in the distant areas by the security forces.

The government cannot get away with the excuse that the LTTE is making use of the people as a human shield. It cannot be a responsible statement by a responsible government.

What benefits does it accrue to the government by starving the Tamil people? The

government must consider taking stern action against senior security officers who flout the government orders rather than giving flimsy reasons.

An English translation of the Editorial in Thinakural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo

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