22 March, 2009 - Published 13:44 GMT

MP denies praising IDP facilities

A Tamil MP in Sri Lanka has denied reports that he commented government efforts to settle Internally Displaced People (IDPs).

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Vanni district MP Vino Noharathalingam has denied a news item in government information department website which said he has praised the government's effort to resettle all the IDPs.

Parliamentarian Vino Noharathalingam told BBC Tamil service that the news item was "a planned ploy to create confusion among the TNA".

The MP said he made a statement to the parliament on Thursday after visiting a refugee camp in Vavuniya.

'No fear of death'

"Hundreds of thousands of people are suffering beacause of war. How can we in TNA support the government?. How can I being a representative of Tamils can praise the government?," he questioned.

The government has said that the MP, who represents TNA which "represent the majority of the North and Eastern Tamil community," has observed "that the people in the welfare camp were living free from fear and that they were providing with all necessary amenities".

The MP was pleased to see young people being trained during the vocational training program, the government said.

"This gives them hope of a better future having lived a life of torment under the rules of LTTE, people are now free from the clutches of this element after many years. They are indeed confident that this feeling of freedom will last forever," the government news item said.

"Since coming to the government held territory, the IDPs said that they don't have the fear of death as they do not have any more shelling and bombers flying over their heads," said the TNA MP.