“When the Ceasefire Agreement was abrogated at the beginning of this year, people asked us whether this will be the end of the peace process. We said absolutely not. Our position is that this will only strengthen the peace process. In the political solutions now being canvassed, we see elements that move towards peace.” said Professor Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary–General of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) at the official launch of the Quarterly Newsletter of SCOPP at the premises of the Peace Secretariat on Monday, March 10.

Professor Wijesinha made an appeal to the media to make the people aware of the peace process. He made the following observations:

• “We further noted that the Govt. of 2002, in appointing Local Monitors, had assumed that in several districts Tamils were the responsibility of the LTTE. This was wrong. Tamils like all other citizens of Sri Lanka are the responsibility of the Govt. Therefore we appointed Tamil CFA local monitors in areas in the North and East where they had not been appointed before on behalf of the Govt. This helped in liaising with people in these areas and finding out about day to day problems.”

• “APRC recommendations constitute only one area of the peace process. But there are also other aspects that we have to bear in mind. Assisting in the coordination of development as well as humanitarian assistance, promoting practical methods of restoring confidence and ensuring human rights are also amongst our functions. We have also developed a dialogue with Civil Society in the form of Chambers of Commerce and NGOs, whilst we help to facilitate discussion with other political parties as well as Civil Society in various forums.”

The inaugural SCOPP Quarterly Newsletter is a revamped publication which differs from previous editions of the Newsletter in both style and lay out. There is also a qualitative difference in content.

An electronic version of the Newsletter is accessible on the website of SCOPP www.peaceinsrilanka.lk, by clicking on the picture at the top right hand corner of the home page.

The Newsletter includes the following content in the current issue:

● APRC Report: A Historic step towards Peace with Dignity

● Message from the Secretary General, SCOPP

● The APRC, Power Sharing and the 13th Amendment

● Government withdraws from CFA

● Prime Minister says Government always for Peace Negotiations

● Statement by Hon. Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
   re. Government decision to terminate CFA

● SCOPP Hosts Farewell for Outgoing SLMM

● Advancing Human Rights in Geneva: Report on Activities of SCOPP

● International Conference on Countering Terrorism

● Food supplies to Jaffna – an update

● East surges ahead under New Vision

● Aceh Peace Process stakeholders and Facilitators visit to SCOPP

Mr. C.S. Poolokasingham, Deputy Secretary –General of SCOPP also spoke, in Tamil too, at the function.