Minister contradicts Sambandan

Mass Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa in a statement issued yesterday refuted allegations made by R Sambandan MP over a private TV channel on February 17 regarding the situation of civilians in Vanni.

“I was surprised by the allegations he (Sambandan) was making and by the ignorance he feigned regarding the true situation of civilians in the Vanni, whom he claims to represent,” the Minister said in the statement.

The Minister also said in his statement that Sambandan should understand that this society is sick and tired of suicide bombers; that this society no longer confuses terrorist with freedom fighter; and that this society has lost patience with people who offer lifelines to terrorists and who try to whitewash crimes against humanity.

The statement:

“I listened to my fellow-parliamentarian, R. Sambandan speaking on a private television channel on February 17. I was surprised by the allegations he was making and by the ignorance he feigned regarding the true situation of civilians in the Vanni, whom he claims to represent.

I was surprised by his claim that the LTTE is the sole representatives of the Tamil people because it essentially makes untenable his status as a representative in Parliament or makes him a member of the LTTE or in the very least its proxy.

Sambandan claims that the Sinhala people are unaware of what’s happening in the Vanni. This is wrong. Neither the Sinhala people nor this Government nor the international community is ignorant of the horrendous crimes against humanity perpetrated by the LTTE against the very people it purports to represent.

How can Sambandan fail to understand that the LTTE is deliberately holding civilians in the Vanni against their will? If he has the ability to do a head count of civilians in an area that’s less than 100 square kilometers and come up with the number 350,000, surely he must know that these civilians are being held hostage? Surely, he has the language to speak with those who have fled this area and ascertain these things?

Sambandan complains that there is no way of finding out the true situation. He could put together the circumstantial evidence then. He can find out the truth about his sole-representatives by taking a look at the wounds of those innocent civilians who were shot by the LTTE in an attempt to stop them from leaving. He could speak to the survivors. He could speak to those who narrowly escaped death when the LTTE sent a suicide bomber in the guise of a refugee.

Sambandan wants the Government to declare a Ceasefire. Sambandan cannot be ignorant about what happened during previous ceasefires and the consequent costs. He should understand that this society is sick and tired of suicide bombers; that this society no longer confuses terrorist with freedom fighter; and that this society has lost patience with people who offer lifelines to terrorists and who try to whitewash crimes against humanity.

My colleague, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is absolutely right when he says that Sambandan by his statement has brought into question his status as a parliamentarian. It is sad that a politician of his experience has tripped himself in this way and I hope he will exercise his intellect to reflect long on such statements and thereby saving himself the embarrassment.”