Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter most venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera today said court action should be expedited against those in custody over terrorism charges while those who are innocent should be released.

During a courtesy call by Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris, the Ven. Mahanayake Thera said those detained on minor offences should not be unnecessarily kept in custody and they should be directed for rehabilitation after completing investigations and taking due legal measures.

While inquiring about steps taken by the government to resettle the war displaced in their original lands, the Mahanayke Thera said he had come to know some of the people had not got back to their original lands.

Speaking on the ongoing struggle of the university teachers, the Thera said urgent action was needed to resolve it.  Drawing a comparison to the External Affairs Minister who had been a University Vice Chancellor some time back, the Thera said several groups within the government who were responsible should join together and propose a workable solution to this problem which had been dragging on for months.

“It was a pity to witness so many University Teachers and Professors making such a massive agitation for the first time in the country,” the Mahanayake said.

JAL Jayasinghe

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)