PARLIAMENT

‘SLFP has never opposed power sharing’

Sandasen MARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided when Parliament met at 1 pm yesterday. After presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up the adjournment motion moved by TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R Sampanthan regarding the current situation in the North and East.

R Sampanthan (TNA): It was the objective of this motion to invite the attention of this House, the government and the country to the imperative need to address the core issues of the conflict and to evolve an acceptable political solution, that would bring about genuine reconciliation and harmony among the different communities and people who inhabit Sri Lanka. Indeed, the only way to ensure permanent peace was to evolve an acceptable political solution that would address such genuine reconciliation and harmony among the different communities and people inhabiting Sri Lanka.

Since the eruption of violence in 1956 and its continuance thereafter, a large number of Sri Lankan Tamils have fled from Sri Lanka and become migrants or sought refuge in other countries all over the world. It was necessary to arrest this trend and enable the Sri Lankan Tamil people to continue to live in Sri Lanka, the country to which they belong and were legitimately entitled to.

The government must take urgent step to expeditiously evolve an acceptable political solution that would ensure Sri Lankan Tamils’ security and restore their dignity and enable them by having access to powers of governance fulfil their legitimate political, social, economic and cultural aspirations.

A structured programme was also necessary to be implemented urgently, to enable the displaced and affected people to meaningfully rebuild and recommence their lives.

A H M Azwer takes the Chair.

Lakshman Kiriella (UNP): The government had a responsibility to provide urgent political solutions to the ethnic conflict. First of all, the government should have a political will to go ahead with the solutions, which was a timely need. We therefore must show the world that all Sri Lankans live as equal citizens within a united an undivided Sri Lanka. The entire Northern and Eastern regions were under military control. Government Agents and District Secretaries were acting on the instructions of security forces in the North and East. The UNP had always pointed out that power should be shared. What the government needs to do is to take urgent steps to create a genuine reconciliation and harmony among the Tamils, by bringing practicable and acceptable political solutions for the ethnic conflict.

Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva: The SLFP had never opposed power sharing. It was the main objective of the government to bring a sustainable and practicable political solution accepted by the whole country. We would talk and consult all political parties before we came into any conclusion. Whatever political solution we would provide, should have the blessings of the people.

We always wanted to give a fair solution to the Tamils who were battered immensely by the 30-year long war.

We will provide a political solution which would not create havoc at grass-roots levels. But it was confirmed that the government would never give any federal solution to this problem.

We need to have patience to analyze the problem. Sometimes we may have to amend the Constitution or add several new laws. However, the government was engaged in this genuine effort to solve this problem.

Therefore, all political parties and stakeholders should come together to fulfil this task genuinely.

M A Samanthiran (TNA): UNP member Lakshman Kiriella stated that whatever solution reached after discussions between government and the TNA as a principal Tamil political party, the UNP was prepared to accept it.

Some religious places in these areas had been destroyed. Then, how could the government say that reconciliation is taking place?

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne: The Tamil people have been appointed as justices, ministry secretaries, ministers, deputy ministers, lecturers and to all other high ranks in the country. The privileges had been given to the Tamil people had also been given to all other communities in the country.

The Tamil people have been living in the country for a long time and were also living in all parts of the country other than in the North and East.

Due to terrorists activities, a large number of Sinhala and Muslim people had been killed.

If the Tamil politicians act in a more humane manner, Sri Lanka would become a more prosperous country.

I suggest that they should co-operate to reach a sustainable solution, irrespective of their atrocities. Sri Lankans should co-operate to protect the unitary state of India which would intern benefit for the defence of Sri Lanka. Some time back, it had been the vision that the LTTE could not be defeated. Those who are ashamed over the defeat of the LTTE, have created distorted reports such as the Darusman Report.

The Tamil people who went abroad due to LTTE terrorism, were now returning to Sri Lanka as the situation was peaceful. The Tamil people who were displaced due to LTTE activities, were given houses, infrastructure facilities such as water, electricity, roads, etc.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake (JVP): The TNA members have been requesting for a constitutional change for the problem. But our idea was that the change should be in social and cultural matters.

Now the situation has become worse, since at least one JVPer in the North and East were being taken into custody every week. We have to give the TNA opportunities to express their views. The reports of the damages which had occurred in the North were not revealed by the government.

P H P Piyasena (UPFA): A member spoke of Tamil widows. Did not the Sinhala women become widowed due to terrorism?

This is our country. We all have to get-together to find a solution.

If the problems were solved and the North and East were developed, these politicians who shed crocodile tears would not get a chance to come to power. So they want the people in the North and East to suffer, so that they could come to power.

Your political party was misleading the public. In my area, people were living happily. Your people never talk of good things. You have already destroyed the identity of the Tamil people. You have not yet stopped putting the Tamil people into chaos.

Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa: Now Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke and Sampanthan might have thought he over did Sampanthan. Anura pointed out the number of widows and orphans of Tamil people and houses destroyed in the North.

It’s OK, Sampanthan talking of these things. But Anura Dissanayake who urged for the operation to be initiated against terrorism and to defeat them by devastating the entire area, was pointing out these atrocities.

Was it ridiculous? Sampanthan did not say that the government was attempting to start ethnic cleansing, but Anura said so.

We know that the people in the North have suffered. We are providing as much as we could and we know they were pleased to see those areas were being developed by the government.

Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda: The election was to be held in the Northern Province. The people in the North and East were provided with all facilities. The TNA then would face many difficulties to face the people of the North. The problems they had discussed during this Adjournment motion have been discussed over and over again in this House by the TNA.

They have not spoken of anything new. The people in the North and East, were aware of the TNA. Local Government elections were underway.

The TNA on earlier occasions had made many statements about local government elections, but now they were making contradictory statements. Have these members given even a single meal to innocent people?

Ministers of this government such as Basil Rajapaksa were providing many facilities to the people in the North. But certain Tamil media were not providing a fair coverage to them which was not an acceptable media practice.

These media people have distorted my statements as well.

I request you to join hands to develop the North and East along with the entire country. Do not drive the Tamil people to despair again.

Now only three TNA members were present in the House and none of the Opposition members are present in the House. That was the enthusiasm shown by your people to this matter.

So I request all of you to join the Parliamentary Select Committee to find a sustainable solution, as President Mahinda Rajapaksa was prepared wholeheartedly to do so.

Child Development and Women’s Affairs Deputy Minister M L A M Hisbullah: During the period when terrorism dominated a massive number of people, Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil were murdered.

But after the elimination of terrorism, none were killed under basis of ethnicity. Now one member queried as to what solutions were to be given to the widows in the North to overcome their economic problems? But I clearly state that under the guidance of Minister Basil Rajapaksa, there were many programmes initiated to uplift their economy.

I request the TNA not to work in line with foreign forces and uproot the peace of this country and happiness of Tamil people.

Resettlement Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan: The TNA was engaged in opportunistic politics. The government has initiated a project to provide water from the Iranamadu Tank to Jaffna, at a cost of Rs 20,000 million. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed to do so.

If there is a Stadium named Saravanamuththu stadium in Colombo, what was wrong in having a stadium named after President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Jaffna?

Nobody can defeat President Mahinda Rajapaksa. We never have accepted the TNA as the sole representative of the Tamil people. You can be just one political party and you have right of expression, but you are not the only representative of the Tamils.

Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa:

The government has decided to appoint a special select committee comprising of all political parties.

But the Opposition has refused to participate in the committee. If the government went ahead with a political solution on its own, the Opposition may alleged that the government had misused its powers.

So, it is the responsibility of all political parties to get-together and find a solution to the problem. We need to consult all political parties as well as listen to the views of the public in this regard.

Then only can we come up with sustainable and acceptable political solutions.

M. Chandrakumar (UPFA):

Today, the resettled people of the North and East, were really enjoying the normalcy which had been created by the government in the aftermath of the war. They were enjoying true peace.

Their grievances were being addressed by the government to some extent. Their housing problems, livelihood activities and infrastructure facilities had been undertaken by the government.

Around 50,000 new houses were being constructed under Indian assistance.

Not only the government, but also the opposition must come together and join their hands to find a political solution.

A.H.M. Azwer (UPFA):

The Opposition must appreciate President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s great efforts to develop the country.

All Sri Lankans, irrespective of religion, race, party and colour must enjoy dividends of those efforts.

R. Yogarajan (UNP):

No facilities have been provided to fishermen and farmers to engage their livelihood activities in the North and East. Most of the people living in the North and East were under poverty line. Housing projects by India had not commenced yet.

Parliament was adjourned until 1 pm today.

[‘Tamils willing to live in an undivided Sri Lanka’]

TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R Sampanthan told Parliament yesterday that the Tamil people were willing to live as equal citizens within a united and undivided Sri Lanka.

Moving an adjournment motion on the current situation in the Northern and Eastern provinces he said that two years have elapsed since the armed struggle in demanding the right of self-determination had been defeated and the time has now come for the government to provide just and equal treatment to the Tamil people and consider them as citizens of Sri Lanka.

The dismal failure of successive governments to recognize and respect the democratic rights of the Tamil people and the persistent demand of the Tamil people for just and equal treatment as Sri Lankan citizens which had been the root cause for such ethnic violence to be unleased against the Tamil people, he said.

The TNA leader invited the attention of the House, the government and the country the imperative need to address the core issues of the conflict and to evolve an acceptable political solution that will bring about genuine reconciliation and harmony among the different communities and peoples who inhabit Sri Lanka.

Indeed, the only way to ensure permanent peace was to evolve and acceptable political solution that will address such genuine reconciliation and harmony among the different communities and people inhabiting Sri Lanka.

[‘Former military personnel rendering yeoman service to country’]

External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris, yesterday stated that the former security forces officers were rendering yeoman service to Sri Lankans functioning as head of missions in foreign countries.

He made this observation in response to a special statement made by Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga, who said that severe consternation and frustrations have been caused in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, due to the appointment of military personnel to diplomatic postings.

External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris:

Shavendra Silva, a former military personnel who has been posted to the foreign service in New York, took on the matter bravely and courageously, the INGOs’ attempt to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka. He had analyzed the footage of their arguments and finally, the opponents had nothing to say about Shavendra Silva’s arguments.

He had been very articulate and accurate in his arguments. These military personnel were not experts in only one field, but also in other fields as well. We have found their inherent ability in other fields as well.

Another example is Wasantha Karannagoda, who is the Ambassador in Japan. He was posted to Japan after the tsunami catastrophy. He motivated the people into taking action even with the support of the Sri Lankan people living there in support of the Japanese government. These high ranking officials of the Japanese government stated that Wasantha Karannagoda was a National Hero of Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Australia, Thisara Samarasinghe, a former Navy Commander, had organized the Galle Dialogue to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Navy to which 40 countries had participated.

Those representatives had appreciated the successful event. All these former military personnel in the foreign service were rendering yeoman service to the country. They were working as heads of missions, but not as military attaches.

With regard to the allegations made by Amaratunga, Sri Lanka is not able to answer the Darusman Report.

I clearly say that it was not a correct statement.

Yasusi Akashi, the special advisor to the Foreign Ministry of Japan, about 10 days ago stated that the Darusman Report was totally improper. He said that he had studied the report painstakingly and found that the materials had been taken from other sources.

Twenty two non aligned countries that met at Bali in Indonesia, agreed that the Darusman Report was not up to the standard to be submitted before the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva.

United Nation’s Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has also stated that it was not his report, but a report submitted to him. All these successful results have been taken by painstaking efforts of the government.

British Minister Alistair Berts, in a telephone conversation with me, had appreciated the report submitted by the Sri Lankan government in connection with the programmes taking place in the North and East of Sri Lanka.

The foreign parliamentary delegations have appreciated and paid a high tribute to the rehabilitation and reconciliation process that is being taking place in Sri Lanka and also their quality.

With regard to the allegations made on the GSP+ matter, I state that Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in India had stated that the West should intervene with matters in Sri Lanka.

His behaviour was not appreciable as an Opposition Leader and any Opposition Leader in any country should not do what he had done.

There were 97 vacancies presently in the foreign service, out of which 237 positions and very recently we had recruited 20 while 19 of them had been graduates.

Although Amaratunga said that senior persons were leaving the foreign service and joining universities, it was a baseless allegation. Only two senior officers have taken a period of 2 year leave, but they would return.

All the allegations made by the Opposition had been incorrect.