‘PSC - the best instrument to solve ethnic issue’

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) is the best instrument to offer the best solution for the issues of the Tamil community. Proposals should be considered from all parties when finding solutions, said Social Services Minister Felix Perera in an interview with the Daily News

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Q: How does the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee help to find a political solution for the ethnic issue?

A: The Parliamentary Select Committee is the best instrument to offer the best solution for the issues of the Tamil community. This is due to many reasons. There are many parties involved in this issue. There are clear divisions within the Tamil community itself. The Tamil community of the estate sector are neglected. A large part of them live in Colombo and other parts of the country with the Sinhala and Muslim people without any problem.

Proposals should be considered from all these parties. Otherwise the decision will not be justifiable. All should be consulted when taking a decision. The best way to do this is to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee. The committee should not take a long time to come to a conclusion.

Q: How do you see the latest election victory of the government?

A: The UPFA’s victory at the LG polls mark the re-entry of the Tamil community into the democratic process. This is the victory of the Tamil community living in the North because this is the first time the TNA selected their own candidates without the approval of the LTTE. Earlier, they had to take LTTE’s approval. Now there is nothing like that.

The suffering of the people due to war cannot be reversed overnight. It takes time. The UPFA lost Pooneryn Pradeshiya Sabha by only 135 votes. This shows that people’s war-affected mentality is healing now with time.

Q: What do you think about the Darusman Report and the Channel 4 video?

A: All those who are involved in the Darusman Report and Channel 4 video should stand in front of a mirror and ask themselves whether they are qualified to interfere with Sri Lanka’s internal affairs and tarnish Sri Lanka’s image by producing fabricated documentaries.

First of all, they should follow their own preaching and only then can they preach others.

The Tamil people who were kept forcibly by the LTTE as hostages rushed into government held areas during the last days of the humanitarian operation not because the government asked them to do so but came willingly because they trusted the government and Sri Lankan armed forces. They did not trust the LTTE or wanted to stay back. Thereafter, the government gave them the best care till they resettled in their places of origin.

Some foreign countries do not have an ethical right to speak about Sri Lanka because they had launched missile attacks on other countries for no reason. Sri Lanka has never done such things. Over 60,000 people have been killed and a large number became disabled due to the war but nobody talks about it. The government built ‘Abhimansala’ to take care of disabled soldiers but the LTTE shot and killed all their injured and disabled cadres. The best example is Mahaththaya who was the second in LTTE command. He was killed by the LTTE.

Q: What is the responsibility of the Opposition at this juncture?

A: The Opposition should do exactly what the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said while he was abroad. He said that we can fight with each other in the country but when you go abroad, you have to behave like a Sri Lankan and act and speak as one nation when it comes to external affairs. This is what the Opposition should do.

The JVP always yearns for some sort of problem or crisis. What they should do is to formulate and present a policy to the public and win their consent instead of waiting for a problem or crisis to be created to gain political advantage.

Q: What is your message to the public?

A: The most important thing for a person is mental peace. Without this economical or social development cannot be achieved. President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave this to the Sri Lankan public. Now people live freely. The Tamil community is now free from paying regular ransoms to the LTTE and President Rajapaksa rescued them from this. Even that relief is enough for them. People spend money to get mental peace. The Sri Lankan public should always remember that.