Colombo, Nov 24: A hard-line nationalist group supported by an influential section of Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance today protested European Union leader Chris Patten's scheduled meeting with LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. The Patriotic National Movement (PNM), which has as its members key figures in Kumaratunga's People's Alliance, including former cricket World Cup winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, said they were opposed to Patten's planned talks with Prabhakaran.
"We want to ask the president and the Foreign Minister as to who has allowed this visit to go ahead," the PNM said in a statement. "We condemn this visit which insults the sovereignty of the nation."
Patten, the EU External Relations Commissioner, is scheduled to fly to the rebel-held town of Kilinochchi, 330 km north of here on Wednesday and return the same afternoon to address a press conference, the EU delegation office here said in a statement.
The Defence Ministry, now directly under President Kumaratunga, had allowed the use of a military helicopter for Patten to travel for his talks with Tiger supremo, officials said.
Bureau Report