NGO behind Chilaw protest -Wimal
Ishara Mudugamuwa
|
Minister Wimal Weerawansa
|
A Non Governmental Organization is behind the recent fishermen's
protests in Chillaw, said Construction Engineering Services Housing and
Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa.
Participating in an oil subsidy offering ceremony to underprivileged
persons in the Kaduwela Divisional Secretariat recently at Kaduwela
Divisional Secretariat, Minister Weerawansa said that fishermen came
onto the streets not for their requirement but for someone else's
requirement. " Their slogans proved this. One of their slogans was
"Don't give subsidies - reduce oil prices". This slogan couldn't be a
slogan of fishermen. "If oil prices were unfair, they could have asked
for a relief from the government. But they didn't do it.
"It means the protest was organized by an NGO," he said.
Minister Weerawansa also said that NGOs want to organize this type of
protests in Sri Lanka to create a bad image about the country through
the international media, such as, CNN, BBC on the eve of the Human
Rights Council meeting in Geneva. They want to make Sri Lanka a country
like Libya, Tunisia, Syria and Yemen. Because of this cruel purposes, we
lost a life. "As we all know the recent oil price hike was due to a
clear reason. Oil prices are increased in other countries as well.
The way USA and Western countries treat Iran has mainly affected the
oil price hike. There was an agreement among the Iranian President and
the Sri Lankan President for credit extending facility to six or seven
months after purchasing oil from Iran. It was a great advantage for us.
After sanctions were imposed against Iran we lost that relief." the
minister said. He said that the government didn't forget to provide
relief to selected groups of people who face difficulties due to the oil
price hike. So this is a people-friendly government.
The minister offered a kerosene subsidy for 150 families in Kaduwela
Divisional Secretariat on the occasion. Families received a monthly
subsidy of Rs. 200. |
