|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Saturday, 22 May 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Politics | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
| Resignation of Ven. Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha Thera : Letter to Speaker by Ven. Aparakke Pugnnananda Thera Honourable Speaker: At the parliamentary session held on 19.05.2004 I was listening to a lengthy debate on the abduction of Ven. Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha Thera who was elected as a Member of Parliament of Jathika Hela Urumaya from Colombo District and his forced resignation from the Parliamentary seat. Although I tried several times to participate at this debate, I didn't get a chance of doing so. As such, I decided to express my position to your honour on this matter as a Member of Parliament as well as a member of the Buddhist clergy. Honourable Speaker, It is no secret that I and Ven. Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha Thera are looked upon with disfavour by a few Bhikkus who are at the helm of Jathika Hela Urumaya and the leaders of 'Sihala Urumaya' who acted behind the scene. They looked upon us with disfavour as we were not prepared to betray the mandate we got from the people at their bidding. These vile and vicious individuals threatened us with death, not once or twice but many a time by phone and also in the Parliament, demanding us to resign from our Parliamentary seats. As a result both I and Ven. Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha Thera underwent pain of mind. As there was no other solution to face this duress I requested police protection for my temple. However, Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera did not take an interest to ask for police protection to his temple. Several times he told me that, "We have not harmed anybody, so why should we ask for police protection?" As the leadership of Jathika Hela Urumaya seemed to be by Bhikkhus and Ven. Rathanaseeha believed that Bhikkus would not engage in any violence towards another Bhikku he did not take an interest to ask for police protection to his temple. However, being aware of the horrendous nature of those vile groups behind 'Jathika Hela Urumaya' I took action to get police protection. Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera was abducted on the night of the 17th. The whole country knew there was a possibility for yet another important election in the Parliament on the 18th. These robed individuals who had come to this abduction assaulted two lay devotees who happened to be in the temple at the time. By next morning the whole country knew that those who had been in the temple had complained to the police the Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera had been abducted and police inquiries had commenced. When the facts are such, before 4.30 p.m. on 18.5.2004 Ven. Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera together with a few other monks who had participated in the abduction came with Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera to the Parliament in a luxury vehicle. According to your statement on the 19th you had been with the Secretary General of Parliament discussing 'Poson Poya day programme' with Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka thera when these Bhikkus arrived. I can't understand why the representatives of the Buddhist Association of the Parliament were not invited for a discussion held in the Parliament on 'Poson Poya day activities'! Why was only Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera, out of all the other members in the Parliament, invited for a discussion on 'Poson Poya day activities'? All parties have Buddhist leaders. On what basis were decisions taken on 'Poson Poya day activities in Parliament' only with Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera without getting others to participate? Whatever it is, it was Ven. Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera and a group of other Bhikkhus who brought Ven. Rathanaseeha while this pseudo discussion was going on. Ven. Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha Thera had to hand over his letter of resignation to the Secretary General of the Parliament while all others were surrounding him. When a police inquiry is being held on the abduction of Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera and a group of individuals brings him to the Parliament and gets him to hand over the letter of resignation what should we, as law abiding citizens, do? Immediately call the police and hand over Ven. Rathanaseeha and those who brought him to the police. Don't you, a person who holds a responsible position in the country and a lawyer and the Secretary General of Parliament, who is a responsible government officer, know this right of the ordinary citizens? When I met the IGP in the Parliament on the 19th he said you had told him, "That priest came and handed over the letter of resignation". You informed the IGP after the letter of resignation had been already handed over merely to avoid the denouncement. Instead of fulfilling the responsibility of a citizen, which I mentioned earlier, what you and the Secretary General of the Parliament had done was to aid and abet the undemocratic, unethical and sinful designs of those who abducted and pressurised Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera. This is indeed a very grave precedent. Tomorrow, if this robed group of Hela Urumaya abduct me, threaten and pressurise me to a situation where I allow myself to be brought before you to hand over my letter of resignation under duress, you will accept it. Is it being law-abiding? Is it how you perform your duty? I presume that you were not discussing 'Poson Poya' with the Secretary General and Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera when Ven. Sumangala Thera brought in Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera to the Parliament. Certainly, you would have been talking about the 'yellow cat operation' about to be launched. If not why did the Secretary General immediately take action to inform the Commissioner of Elections about the resignation of Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera? How did she display such efficiency at that moment? Even at this moment Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera is being kept in the custody of Ven. Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera. Yesterday (18th) a media discussion was held only with private media - state media had not been invited - and Ven. Rathanaseeha was being surrounded by other robed individuals. At this discussion private media discovered (sic) that Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera, at the bidding of Ven. Sumangala Thera, saying that he was not abducted! This is a hilarious act indeed. Keeping Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera under their custody, getting to make statements at their bidding to media favourable to them is nothing but a lethal joke. If he was not abducted why wasn't he able to lock the doors of his temple at Moratuwa? Did ghosts attack Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera's lay devotees who were in the temple at the time? Later, he phoned Ven. Ariyadhaja Thera of Panadura and asked him to lock the gate and the doors of the temple as they were left open. Did he have to do so because he had left of his own? Is the statement made by the driver of the abducted van to the police false? If there was no abduction why doesn't Ven. Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera allow Ven. Rathanaseeha to move freely? You are not the one who has to answer these questions. But you have to be aware of these matters as you and the Secretary General are involved in this issue. I am a Buddhist priest. You are said to be a Buddhist. I don't know what faith the Secretary General does belong to. Nevertheless, we should be able to act independently and freely without being influenced by anyone. The clique of 'yellow cats' in Jathika Hela Urumaya is aiming at our rights as well as our lives. As the Speaker of the House you are duty-bound to act to curb this crime. However, I have to inform you that we have lost confidence in you and the Secretary General of the Parliament from the manner you and she acted in the question of Ven. Rathanaseeha Thera. Sgd: Ven. Aparakke Pugnnananda Thera, Member of Parliament (Gampaha District) 20.05.2004 Copies to: 1. The President 2. Inspector General of Police 3. All media 4. All High Commissions and Embassies |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
