ER, PTA to remain - Minister

Uditha Kumarasinghe and Irangika Range

Leader of the House and Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told Parliament yesterday that the Government will not remove emergency regulations or provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) as demanded by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Government has successfully won the war against LTTE terrorism, but more measures have to be taken to make sure that there would be no room for terrorism to be reborn in Sri Lanka, he said.

The Minister said the Opposition Leader has demanded to remove Emergency regulations and do away with PTA as well. A question has arisen whether the Opposition Leader through such attempts wants to see revival of terrorism in this country, he said.

“We have to give an assurance to the people that there will be no room for terrorism in this country again. Under these circumstances we have to conduct mopping up operations, clearance operations and have to arrest persons who assisted the LTTE.

Therefore we need the Emergency regulations and the PTA to continue,” he said.

The request by the Opposition Leader is very untimely and the Government has to inform the House that there is no possibility to grant permission to his request at this juncture, the Minister added.

Terrorism has created a unique opportunity for all to act with unity. This will also facilitate to develop agriculture, fisheries and environment sectors. We have been able to develop the entire agriculture sector due to measures taken by the Armed Forces to liberate the country from the LTTE. Northern farmers are exemplary.

During our past history, they have made lot of sacrifices to develop the agricultural sector,” Minister de Silva said.

The human resource in the North is a great strength to develop the Province. Releasing the entire land in the North from the terrorist would facilitate the Government to implement its proposed development drive within the Northern Province in a more effective manner, he said.

The Minister commenting on the remarks made by the UNP to lift Emergency regulations, said a question has arisen whether the UNP makes this statement with proper understanding or to take undue political advantages.

“At present, a large number of court cases have been filed against the LTTE. While LTTE terrorists are still being arrested by the Armed Forces. Therefore, the Opposition should act with responsibility without making such irresponsible statements,” he said.

The entire nation should extend its gratitude to the attempts by the Armed Forces to defeat terrorism. No terrorist organisation in the world had air or Naval power like the LTTE.

“Our Armed Forces were able to completely destroy all these Naval and air power of the LTTE. Defeating the LTTE is an international victory achieved by the Government. But the Opposition does not speak on this victory with honest intention.

Therefore the Opposition should view these victories honestly while extending their support to the Government to bring forward the country,” the Minister added.