Daily NEWS Srilanka

Eastern Province Chief Minister Nazeer Ahamed has asked pardon from the  President and the Prime Minister by sending a letter to them for having behaved in an unruly manner and dishonouring a Navy officer by shouting out at
him at a festival conducted at Sampur Maha Vidyalaya recently and in response the decision taken by the three armed forces  to boycott  all celebrations and festivals which he is to represent has now been revoked with the issue being brought to  a settlement.

The President who returned to the island after his tour of Japan has enquired into this matter. As mentioned in the letter by the Chief Minister, he has apologised to the staff of Sampur Maha  Vidyalaya as well as the students, foreign visitors and the Navy Officer who faced this situation that day. The decision taken by the three forces not to attend occasions where he was to attend has been arrived at before coming to the notice of the President and the Prime Minister and which he says a political shortcoming, the letter further mentions. The letter which requests the President and the prime Minister to take necessary steps concerning the incident also carries the following ideas:

'Names of the  English teacher of that school and the Governor of the province was mentioned as soon as I arrived at the school celebration; but names of  the Chief minister or that of the Education Minister of the province was not announced. On this occasion Mr. Atul Keshap the American Ambassador in Sri Lanka was present. Subsequently the Governor spotted me and invited me to the stage. But the moment I came on stage a Navy Officer who gave the impression  that he was handling activities related to this occasion appeared to block me. That was at the time I was moving on stage.  Maybe he may have acted so wondering with suspicion why the media was to come to the stage.

That aggressive behaviour was actually a fault according to the Penal Code. That in fact put me into a shock. I then asked him as to who he is to block me. At the same time I found fault  with the Hon. Governor for directing officers without a proper policy. What I felt on that occasion was that I became humiliated in the presence of a large gathering and foreign dignitaries. It is a sorry state of affairs to note at that moment that the security forces were guarding those who were at fault and that they were not taking steps in the wide duties expected of them to install justice.

After the President returned yesterday the relevant parties have been contacted and under these circumstances the decision arrived at by the three Forces not to represent celebrations where Eastern Province Chief Minister Nazer Ahamad was to attend and to bar him from entering camps of the three Forces has been revoked. The Army spokesman Brigadier Mr. Jayanath Jayaweera has announced  that this decision would take effect from today.