Feb 10, Batticaloa: Although the Sri Lankan government promised that it will solve the problems of the Tamil people in 2016, it has not yet been achieved, the Northern Province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran said.

The Chief Minister made this statement at an "Eluga Thamil (Rise Up Tamils!)" rally held Friday in Batticaloa in the Eastern Province with the aim to win the rights of Tamil people.

The Eluga Thamil protest march and rally held in Batticaloa on Friday was organized by the Tamil People's Council led by the Northern Province Chief Minister.

Wigneswaran accused the government of misleading the Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan by promising a political solution to the problems of the Tamil people.

Sri Lanka's main Tamil party, the TNA ha earlier said that protest marches like Eluga Thamil is not beneficial to the Tamil people at this time when discussions are being conducted for a new constitution which is expected to provide a solution to the ethnic problem.

The Chief Minister said the struggle to win democratic rights and a political solution for the Tamil people will continue and claimed that he has not abandoned the demand for merging the North and the East.

Speaking of reports that Sri Lanka would request more time to fulfill the pledges given in the UNHRC resolution, the Northern Province Chief Minister said Wigneswaran said Sri Lanka should not be given any more time and reiterates the call for an international investigation to probe the alleged war crimes.