"There is no caste or race which is permanent and, therefore, when providing assistance to tsunami displaced people everybody should be treated alike as citizens", the Ven.Chandrarathana thero told Sandesaya.

The thero was talking to Sandesaya highlighting the significance of Poson Poya day which fell on Tuesday the 21st.

The war with the LTTE has seen loss of valuble life and tremendous destruction over the past twenty years.

As a monk living in the war stricken Thanthirimale, the Nayaka Thero said he has experience of the bitter war. "I know the agony of the war - people's sorrow, their tears, their wails", the thero said.

Joint Tsunami Mechanism

The Nayaka Thero said that it is difficult to develop the country by rejecting LTTE or the Tamil people.

"Whether it is LTTE or any other organisation, it is important and essential at this hour to work together with the government to provide assistance to the tsunami affected people.", Nayaka Thero said.

The prelate said that as some presumed he did not think tsunami joint mechnaim would lead to a division of the country and give diplomatic status to LTTE.

I am going to come with some seven thousand families living in Thanthirimale to Colombo and put a refugee camp in the city Nayaka Thero

He said because of the tsunami a new path has opened for all of us to get together and push the country forward from our burdens, the sufferings, and the poverty.

"That is the only way forward for the rebuilding of country therefore, extremism will lead the country nowhere", the prelate said.

"If the country is pushed into war again I am going to come with some seven thousand families living in Thanthirimale to Colombo and put a refugee camp there", the Nayaka thero said.

The war during the past 20 years has brought only death specially the young, and destruction, disabled people, the prelate said.

"We are not prepared to sacrifice our lives to war any longer", Nayaka Thero added.