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Monks set for protest against deban move
By Nilika de Silva
Buddhist monks from all over the country will gather in Colombo tomorrow for a protest rally to express their opposition to a government decision to lift the ban on the LTTE on Thursday.

The Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya, a body representing Buddhist monks from all sects, has sent invitations to all temples in the country, requesting all Buddhist monks and patriots to come for the BMICH rally at 2.30 p.m.

The government last week announced that it would lift the ban on the LTTE on September 6, ten days ahead of September 16 peace talks in Thailand, but said the deproscription would be reviewed every month in the light of the progress made at the peace talks.

The ban on the LTTE was imposed by the previous government following the January 1998 terrorist attack on the Sri Dalada Maligawa. Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera of the Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya told a news conference this week that the group was opposed to the lifting of the ban on the LTTE, the setting up of the interim administration and the division of the country.

"Peace must be sought only by preserving the unitary status of the country," he said adding that the country had never been divided throughout its 2,500 year history. "But today, there are moves to legally divide this country.

At a meeting held earlier this week, Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha urged the government not to lift the deproscription on the LTTE before the peace talks began. Meanwhile, the government has also launched a country wide campaign to mobilise support for the peace process. The campaign is scheduled to culminate in a rally on 'peace and democracy' in Colombo on September 9.

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