Oct 11, Colombo: Twelve minority and leftist political parties met yesterday to discuss a recent statement made by the Army Commander in an interview with Canada's National Post and issued a statement to protest the Army chief's statement.

“The statement made by the army commander is absolutely uncalled for and unwarranted. Further, this statement undermines the efforts made by all governments to bring peace among the multi ethnic groups and communities in Sri Lanka and goes directly against the statement made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the UN conference and elsewhere, pledging to protect the rights of the minorities and to treat them with equality,” the parties said in a statement.

"I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people...We being the majority of the country, 75%, we will never give in and we have the right to protect this country...We are also a strong nation ... They can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things," said the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka in an interview with Stewart Bell of the National Post newspaper of Canada, published on 23rd September 2008.

The Tamil National Alliance, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Sri Lanka Freedom Party People's Wing, All Ceylon Muslim Congress, Lanka Sama Samaja Party, United Socialist Party, Left Front and Western People's Front were among the parties that met yesterday at Asath Sai Foundation in Colombo.