National Congress leader former minister A.L.M. Athaulla met the Chief Prelate of the Malwattu Chapter Most Venerable Tibbatuwa Sri Sumangala Thera this morning.

At the meeting the Chief Prelate said: “They say peace and reconciliation but they do other things. That is wrong. Now in that area there is deforestation going on, building settlements. That is not good. Sinhalese people must live there, Tamil people, Muslim people must live there,” the Chief Prelate said.

“These problems occur when they try to do something new. Politicians are doing these things to benefit themselves,” he said.

Former Minister Athaulla said that the area in question was a protected ground and said it was the Muslim people who had protected it.

The Chief Prelate however said that it is only when the Muslims were attempting to set up a wholly Muslim settlement that there is a problem. He said all communities should learn to live together in peace.