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by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday requested the Government and the Public Service Commission to immediately reinstate the 3,286 education service employees who have been politically victimised during the 1977-1994 UNP government.

Rajapakse told a media conference yesterday that the Supreme Court has given an order on January 28, 2003 to reinstate these employees following two human rights petitions filed by the Trade Union of Victimised Educational Services Employees Recommended for Relief in April 2002.

He said: "If the Public Service Commission does not respond immediately to this matter, we will go to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and also educate other international organisations throughout the world on the conduct of the Government." During the PA administration, politically victimised education employees were identified by a special Ministerial Sub Committee, recommending their rights and promotions, he said.

In the second stage, 11,020 applications were considered through formal interviews and relief was recommended to 3,286 employees through a special Cabinet paper presented by then Education Minister Susil Premajayantha in August 2002, he said.

The Opposition Leader said the UNF Government in collaboration with Education Ministry officials made attempts to prevent the implementation of this Cabinet decision. The Government tried to cancel appointment letters which were issued before Parliament was dissolved.

Due to these activities of the Government, six education employees recommended for relief have died and several employees have fallen ill during this one year, he said. Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Education Services Committee has informed all applicants recommended for relief that all appointments and promotions given after dissolution of the 11th Parliament have been cancelled through a letter sent to them on January 30, 2002. In addition, he has informed the Parliament Consultative Committee on 13-07-2002 that his committee has no power to implement these relief measures due to passing of the 17th amendment, he said.However, the Attorney General through his letter dated 01-11-2001 has informed the Education Service Committee that the 17th amendment was no legal obstacle to grant these relief measures. He said the Supreme Court has refused all these attempts made by the Government in association with the Education Service Committee and the Public Service Committee.

"Therefore we request the Government to bow to this court decision and immediately provide these relief measures to education employees without depressing them."

PA MP D. M. Jayaratne said if the Government does not implement this court decision, laws should be drafted to implement this through Parliament too.

Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne said that he is also an education employee dismissed by the UNP regime in 1982. "In 2001, a letter was sent by then Education Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama to reinstate my service."

He said: "Some are accusing me that I am supporting the Government. If I do so, the Government should first reinstate me. It is very clear that this Government takes revenge from employees.

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