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| Thursday, 15 November 2001 |
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On 29th Oct. 5 were killed and 16 injured when a suicide bomber exploded himself at Narahenpita. His target had been the Prime Minister. In Dec. 1999 an LTTE suicide bomber attempted the life of the President. The LTTE policy is to destroy all national leaders who oppose their ultimate goal. But despite this, the UNP had never raised a finger in protest. In the past as well, the UNP had never ever condemned the LTTE. Even when UNP leaders were systematically eliminated by the Tigers Ranil Wickremesinghe never challenged the LTTE. And he had no qualm of conscience in entering into deals with killers of his party leaders. In contrast, whenever national leaders were assassinated by the LTTE, the President irrespective of their political affiliations or ethnicity made clear unequivocal statements condemning them for the horrible murders. But the leader of the opposition had no courage to call "a spade a spade". He made dampening speeches and never wanted the people behind the cruel murderers brought to justice. In fact early this year a UNP defector confessed that Ranil at party meetings had requested not to cross swords with the LTTE because of suicide bombers! The UNP is able to conduct election campaigns in the North and the East with the LTTE while PA candidates have security threats. The story during the last election was the same. Furthermore, when the LTTE was proscribed by the PA, the UNP was never critical of the LTTE and did not utter a word against them in Sri Lanka or in international forums. Their silence confirms its alliance. The role played by the UNP leader is not surprising. June last year, in a statement to the Indian magazine "Week", he paid a glowing tribute to Prabhakaran saying, "...Prabhakaran is striving to achieve a goal which is the only target in his life. He has devoted and dedicated his life to achieve this goal. He has also proved that he is a leader who has determination and tenacity and he has the capacity to establish a fully fledged military force..." The above was reproduced in the LTTE newspaper "Eealamarasu" of 11-17 May 2000 captioned "A leader who pursues the goal with enthusiasm and determination, Ranil Wickremesinghe on our national hero". July last year, the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) report disclosed,"... The reason why the LTTE went out all in support of the UNP Presidential candidate in Dec. 1999 are far deeper than the rhetoric about Chandrika Kumaratunga having betrayed the Tamils. as President he (Ranil) has pledged to give in effect the LTTE the North and the East administration on an interim basis. Of course, those in Jaffna knew well that a UNP victory or return of the LTTE would have apocalyptic consequences..." And these would not matter much to the leader of the opposition as long as he could be the President of the south of Sri Lanka. Ranil's pro-LTTE policy was further confirmed last year when it was alleged that he met an LTTE leader in Singapore. It was reported that the UNP leader had a clandestine meeting with a well known LTTE leader named Charles Selvakumar Gnanakone during a private visit to Singapore on July 18. According to reports, he is a well-known LTTE activist and described as the person in charge of shipping of arms for the LTTE in Sri Lanka. Recently, the President declared that she had information that Mr. Wickremesinghe was negotiating with the LTTE representatives Lawrence Thilagar and Thamil Chelvam with Jayalath Jayawardena as mediator two weeks before her assassination attempt in 1999. Therefore the UNP alliance with the LTTE is an open secret. At present while everyone has condemned terrorism which has gripped the world and while the West had declared war against them the UNP is working hand in glove with the LTTE for a division of the country. The UNP in truck with the LTTE, which shelled the sacred Dalada Maligawa and sacrileged the Sri Maha Bodiya killing hundreds of pilgrims. DR. P. A. SAMARAWEERA, This refers to the BBC Hard Talk with President Chandrika Kumratunga conducted by Tim Sebastian in October. My concern here is not about what the President said. It is a point for us to discuss on our home affairs agenda. Until then what worries me is the journalistic behaviour of the host of this program representing one of the most influential media institutes of the world. In modern terms a discussion or interview of this nature is called hosting and, of course, it happens to be pleasant experience at the end. The host of this program seemed very hostile to the guest at his door-step. It looked as if Tim was in a bad temper born and bred out of some unknown reason; perhaps an anti-Sri Lankan feeling. This was manifest throughout the TALK in the way he raised questions so ruthlessly like pelting stones at an enemy. He raised exhaustive question after question from the President but he was not patient enough to listen to the answers nor did he let the international audience to do so as a judge but it was at Tim's discretion and choice. Whenever the President started responding to a question of this veteran host or when she was halfway doing so he interrupted her callously to raise another question without giving her sufficient time to finish her point. Instead of being an interview it turned out to be a scene of a questioner himself answering the questions leaving the guest to the option of saying "yes" or "no" only. In my view this is an unfair treatment to a guest in terms of journalistic ethics. As the only source of information Tim' heavy reliance on US State Department report on Human Rights Violations of Sri Lanka suggests that he is far from being balanced and impartial in his views. He argued with the President to the left and right about Sri Lanka's bad record of HRV, taking the US report as the gospel of truth. He questioned as to who was lying" The State Department or the President? In many other Hard Talk programs I have seen Tim concluding the discussion smoothly and pleasantly whatever the subject matter was. But in this particular instance we were surprised to see him shake hands and say, "thank you" so abruptly and coldly even when the guest hadn't come to end of her statement yet. MADDUMA BANDARA NAVARATHNE , Junius Richard gave a week's holiday to the Police as aftermath of 1977 general election not for them to rest after maintaining law and order during a hectic general election campaign but deliberately to make the police mere spectators in the face of pre-planned mayhem unleashed by the JSS "Junta" lead by Supremo Siri Nal De Mel under the authority of JR's confident that anarchist Cyril Mathew. Junta thugs' mobility and logistics were provided by buses commandeered from CTB depots country-over and crewed by hand-picked JSS Jack-boots. Werahera Ceramic Corp. was made out of bounds for even uncommitted workers those already in the premises were flushed out. Next target was Maharagama Teachers Training College, ear-marked teachers and staff (both men and women) were made to fall-in in front of college office, used engine oil brought from CTB depot was poured over their head to toe. A poor clerk from Boralesgamuwa went to work with Coordinating Secretary of Ranil's Education Ministry, over an argument, he was threatened of assault by Gonawila Sunil's thugs then frequenting the ministry, which compelled the clerk concerned to obtain half-day's leave to avoid the showdown. He was served with vacation of post notice (mind you an employee who worked in the morning session) and denied any means of subsistence for over 2 years until Public Adm. intervened as head of Combined Services and reinstated him posting to another department. Aftermath of 1980 July one day abstaining from office with prior notice to authorities under Trade Union Law, workers' rights supposed to have further guaranteed by JR's constitutional contraption, were by Cabinet decision decreed as having vacated their posts and thousands of public servants with long years of service and qualifications were replaced by handpicked JSS partisans, going to the extent of accommodating politicians' mistresses and even house maids working their kitchens. The present day paralysis in the public service is mostly due to this sordid fact. So much for how they gave jobs to party cadres. UNP also speaks of media freedom. For the mere crime of holding different views to government's, journalist Richard de Soysa was pulled out of his mother's arms and his body was later picked up from Lunawa beach. How much did Ranil labour in then Parliament to provide alibi and justify this murder and assign blame to others when not only the whole country but even the dead from the other world not excluding his father Esmond believed otherwise. People are not dead and reborn, nor are they prepared to adorn old shoes. There is no great damnation than to recall in defeat, the time when one misruled. Elections are times when men's souls are tried if one has one! JOE WETTASINGHE , With the commencement of the election campaign, physical violence of assault, murder etc. have also started. Apart from that, violence of words has also begun and is raging like wild fire. Violence of weapons and violence of words are equally bad, despicable and detestable and should be avoided.Will the politicians who contest the elections see that they or their supporters do not engage in both these violence. The violence of words has already descended to the very lowest depth. If the politicians do not stop these violences the people who vote for them should tell them not to indulge in such violences, and if they do not stop the violences, the voters should bring pressure on them to stop the violences. It is a disgrace to our country and to our culture of many years which we boast about. ARUL , |
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