2 June 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is pleased to release it’s latest tri-lingual publication, Tamil Language Rights in Sri Lanka. As noted in the Introduced penned by Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, the Executive Director of CPA,
“‘Tamil Language Rights in Sri Lanka’ is written by a distinguished former civil servant and a valued colleague at CPA. Dr. Devanesan Nesiah also headed the team appointed in 1998 by the Official Language Commission of Sri Lanka to conduct an Audit on the Use of Tamil as an Official Language in the provinces outside of the North-East. Consequently, this monograph is enriched with both experience and expertise on a subject that was at the heart of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and one that continues to be integral to the challenge of our transition from a post-war society to a post-conflict one.”
Dr. Saravanamuttu ends by noting that,
“Upholding Tamil language rights in Sri Lanka will not be sufficient for ensuring peace, reconciliation and unity. However, it incontestably constitutes part of a package of reforms that are necessary for peace, reconciliation and unity. At the heart of the challenge is not the availability of resources; it is political commitment and mind –set as it is for the other issues that are in need of resolution for Sri Lanka to become the truly, sustainable post-conflict society with democratic governance desired by all of its peoples.”