Country needs peace and democracy - DEW

Duraisamy, Maskeliya group corr.

HATTON: 'Today the country does not need war but peace and democracy. The recent violence in the North East resulted in the loss of lives of ordinary citizens of Sri Lanka. We have to put an end to it. What we need is peace among all communities,' said Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Minister DEW Gunasekera.

He was speaking at a seminar on the constitution, democracy and peace at the Hatton Sakhi Hall recently.

This seminar was the fourth in a series organised by the Ministry.

'A perfect Constitution is also needed for democracy and peace. Sri Lanka is a multi racial communal and religious country. Therefore there should be understanding among them. Every community must understand the others," he said.

The speech: our country has been facing problems since 1956. Because in 1956, Swabhasha came into effect throughout the country. Late S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike became Prime Minister on that issue.

In 1983, Ethnic Violence broke out throughout the country. Thereby, several in thousands fled to India and many in hundreds were dead. Since then, the LTTE became very strong in the North and Eastern Provinces, the Minister said.

Now, the Ethnic problem had widened the situation to meet the grave ends, by innocent people of the country. So, it is our duty to put an end to this long pending problem through peace but not through war. We all love peace and not war."

DEW Gunasekera said it is not the time for war. Even LTTE Prabhakaran is not a fool to go for war. Today the Ethnic problem has gone up to the International level after 1983 violence.

All those who died were civilians and precious children of the country.

There are only 25 per cent of Tamil speaking people living in the country and out of which only 17 per cent are Tamils. Tamils are living in all countries in the world.

So, peace is the only way to solve the ethnic problem.

There are problems in thirty countries in the world on community, lands, boundaries, power, castes, races, religions issues. Those who fought finally came for talks. The war was first started in Jaffna, then spread to Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara and now in Colombo.

In Jaffna, Tamil youths were dead and in other places youths of other communities died. They met their deaths for nothing.

We should not allow this again.

The situation of the country has gone from bad to worse. The economic developments were put to a halt. I will not allow peace to be destroyed from our country, he said.

Because we are all peace lovers and eagerly waiting progress in life. It is not our aim to wage war on Tamils of North and East.

Therefore the LTTE and the other political parties should know this fact. For the past 50 years the issue was discussed, but no solution through war.

But it can be solved only through peace and democracy.

He said that it was not easy to bring Prabhakaran to the negotiation table and he was on war mood for the past 23 years. If a secret referendum is conducted among the people of North and East, they will definitely vote for peace and not for war.

"In 1943, late J. R. Jeyewardene was in favour of Sinhalese only policy throughout the country and it was opposed by late S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike then and in 1956, after he became the Prime Minister on the policy of Sinhala, he implemented it.

From that day onwards the ethnic problems began. Terrorism too began from that period.'

"He said if Chelvanayakam-Bandaranaike Pact was not torn, we would not have been experiencing a war today. In practice, and in solving the problem of Tamil and Sinhalese, many policies were adopted from the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact."

In Jaffna, they speak of Tamil Eelam. Did they think of 52.3 per cent of Tamils living outside the North-East Provinces. I was the only member in the Parliament in 1980 to raise against war and speak for peace. I was a member representing Kalawana Electorate in Parliament," he said.

There are 65,000 policemen in the country but only 600 officers are able to translate the letters. If they stop their duties for one day the law and order will not prevail. Everybody will take law into their hands, he said.

The present generation must live peacefully.

After 1985, 15 elections have taken place. But no Government was able to solve the problem. So, I have decided to train all those who are in the Government Service to teach them Sinhala language for Tamils and Tamil language for Sinhalese along with English langauge. These three languages are very essential for a country like ours.

I will set up an English Training Institute in Sri Lanka. I am proud to say that up-to-now, I have trained 2000 clerical servants to study all three languages. It is the way to understand each other through languages and easy way to solve the language problem and ethnic problem too.

It is a great chance for Government servants to earn more than Rs. 25,000 and get promotions in their jobs. We have to follow steps taken by India, America, Italy, Eran, Eraq, Pakistan, Russia, Vietnam, Korea in solving their conflicts.

All countries in Asia wanted to progress and we too follow the same.

We have to give up terrorism. Through terrorism, we cannot achieve anything. Nepal King too had turned to the side of the people of Nepal in the country's administration and power.

So let us all join hands in bringing peace, democracy and amendments to the present Constitution to avoid war in this small and beautiful Lanka."

Deputy Minister Dilan Perera said those who died in the war were citizens of Sri Lanka. If any killing take place in the North and East, the Government was blamed and if similar happenings take place in the South the LTTE was condemned, either by the Government or JVPers.

I call upon everyone to unite and work for peace. All sections of people complain with various stories of murder and killings. So forget the false stories and allegations against any group or forces and join hands for peace, democracy, Dilan Perera said.

We should not be puppets of anybody. We all should rally round to wipeout terrorism and war in the country. When Karuna was with the LTTE some people condemned him very badly, but when Karuna left the LTTE the similar crowd praised him. Let them take a correct path for Democratic rule. The Constitution of a country must safeguard its people. And not destroy its people. So let us all unite to find peace. Peace is truth and not false," he said.

Central Province Education Minister S. Arulsamy, O. A. Ramiah, General Secretary of Redflag Union, A. M. Navarathna Bandara, Professor Dhamma Dissanayake, Senior Lecturer of Colombo University A. P. Kanapathypillai, Attorney-at-Law W. G. Ranasinghe, Member of Central Provincial Council also spoke.