The main opposition United National Party (UNP) will team up with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) next Friday to stage a hunger strike demanding the release of lands acquired for the High Security Zones, party officials said yesterday.

The hunger strike will start at 9.00 am and go on till 4.30 pm at Thellipalai, Jaffna.

The TNA said that people of 42 Grama Seva Divisions have been dislodged from their original places of residence due to the acquisition of their lands for the HSZ in the area.  After the event, the UNP will hold talks with the authorities of Jaffna University and Bishop Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam. Also, the opposition delegation will visit Nagadeepa Temple.  

In Kilinochchi, the party is expected to visit the office TNA MP S. Sritharan’s office which was raided recently.  

TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran told Daily Mirror yesterday that his party would work together with the UNP-led opposition alliance in areas concerning the Tamil community. Along with the UNP, he said, ten political parties would join hands with the TNA.

The TNA has demanded, for long, the dismantling of the HSZs in the north and the reduction of military presence. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has also made these recommendations.

However, MP Sumanthiran said that the TNA would not go for an electoral pact with the UNP.

Asked whether the TNA would present its case at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, he said that the party would do it if there was a necessity

“Well, we will do it if necessary. So far, nothing has been discussed.”

Responding to a query about their plan to visit the United States (US), the TNA replied that there was no such need at the moment because the TNA briefed the three US officials who visited the country recently.

“We were planning to go. But, there is no such plan now,” he said. (Kelum Bandara)