Tamil diaspora were losers in engineering London protest

http://www.lakbimanews.lk/special/spe9.htm

Tamil diaspora were losers in engineering London protest
- Praba Ganeshan
UPFA Colombo district MP Praba Ganesan says that the recent protests held in London by the Tamil Diaspora were a case of them being ignorant of the reconciliation measures undertaken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa between the Sinhalese and Tamil people in Sri Lanka, since the end of the ethnic conflict in 2009.In an interview with Jatila Karawita, MP Praba Ganesan, a member of the Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) party noted that the government led by the president has been able to win over the minority communities since the war ended last year.Hence, their next challenge will be to win over the Tamil Diaspora in countries such a UK, Germany, Switzerland and Canada and he vowed to play a decisive role in this regard during the interview.
Interview -
Even though the government has been able to defeat the LTTE and save the country, yet it has not been able to win over the Tamil people to their side. Isn’t that the case ensuing from the recent cancellation of the President’s speech to the Oxford Union in London?
It is wrong to surmise that the government has been unable to win over the minority communities more specifically the Tamil people to their side since the war’s end. On the contrary, the minority communities, more specifically the Tamils, are throwing their support towards the president and the government, because they know the president and government are geared to reconcile the minority communities with the majority Sinhalese. But, what occurred in the UK was something for which the Tamil Diaspora should be blamed. The Diaspora there is ignorant of what is taking place in Sri Lanka. The ground situation, during the time of the war and after its completion are entirely different or poles apart, so to say, in Sri Lanka. The Diaspora in the UK has clearly failed to notice this. The relationship between the Sinhala and Tamil people are currently at an all-time high.
But don’t you agree that the protests staged by the Tamil Diaspora in the UK against the President that prevented him from delivering his speech at the Oxford Union was a blow to the country?
I do not think or even consider it as a blow but as a drawback and setback to the Tamil Diaspora in the UK. Because, if the President had been able to deliver his speech to the Oxford Union he would have been able to enlighten the Diaspora there as to what measures have been undertaken by the government in the North-East since the end of the war.It is an accepted fact that the Tamil Diaspora in the UK pumped in millions of rupees to the LTTE to sustain their war effort against the security forces. These pro-LTTE and anti-Sri Lanka elements should think of channeling those large amounts of money to rebuild schools, hospitals, libraries etc. destroyed in the North-East, rather than trying to waste them on futile protests against the President or the UPFA government.The Tamil Diaspora in the UK was the loser due to the cancellation of the President’s speech to the Oxford and not Sri Lanka the sooner they understand or realise this the better it will be for them.
Don’t you consider that the Tamil Diaspora abroad has become a major headache to this government, and what do you make of the allegations levelled by the government at UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena for having sided with the pro-LTTE groups in sabotaging the president’s speech to the Oxford Union and Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne for having spoken on behalf of such LTTE remnants in the UK recently?
My personal view is that the Tamil Diaspora in the UK is at least 75 per cent responsible for sabotaging the President’s speech. The rest could be Sinhala groups in the UK, the British government and several other elements who are keen to revive the LTTE global network. It is the duty of the government not to make the Tamil Diaspora overseas a headache in their efforts to usher in peace and prosperity to the North-East of Sri Lanka. As the picture is yet unclear I am unable to shed more light on it, but I firmly believe that all these groups would have contributed either directly or indirectly to cancel the president’s speech. As for the allegations leveled at Dr. JJ and Dr. Wickremabahu, I think there are some inquiries taking place and if at the end of those investigations if they are proved to be guilty, then action should be taken in keeping with what has been laid down in the country’s constitution.
What role do you hope to play as a Tamil MP in diminishing the adverse impact of the Tamil Diaspora overseas to this country?
I have already planned to take a group of MPs from our party the DPF and other minority parties to countries like the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and Canada and educate the Diaspora there regards what the actual ground situation in this country is and how they should contribute to enrich the lives of their communities by supporting the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration.There will no doubt be a lot of pressure on me or even threats when I undertake this journey, but I am going to face up to this challenge on behalf of our people and will not back down. I intend to undertake this trip after January 20, 2011.
What do you make of the development plans initiated by the government in the North-East?
I must state that the development of the North and the East is taking place at a rapid pace. It is accepted that the resettlement drive has hit a snag somewhat but it is the duty of all the leaders of the minority parties in this country to support the president and the government to develop those areas instead of bickering among ourselves. Development should cover all areas of the country and its benefits should be accrued equally by all communities living in this country irrespective of caste, creed or race differences. I am currently content with the development taking place in the North-East having travelled to some of the major towns and its results could be long-term and not short-term, this is what the people should understand.
What is your view of the war crimes charges directed at the security forces by the Tamil Diaspora and pro-LTTE groups?
There is no war that has been waged in this world that has turned out to be 100 per cent perfect or incident free. Some of these allegations have been utterly cooked up or fabricated lies like the doctored videos churned out by Channel 4 of UK. It is with the intention of looking into these allegations that the government appointed the LLRC (Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee) and to prevent the emergence of a war in the country to a scale where the security forces and the LTTE waged during the past 30-year period.
You won the last election contesting from the UNP ticket and how do you justify crossing to the government? Isn’t it a betrayal of the trust placed in you by your voters?
I have never betrayed my people whether they be in the Colombo North or in the North and the East of the country. What prompted me to cross over was that I felt I cannot serve my people better by sitting with the UNP who could never ever hope to gain power in this country. So it dawned on me the best course of action was to tie up with the UPFA and provide support to the president’s drive to reconcile all communities irrespective of any differences after the war ended.The decision I have taken have been approved by my people as well and can boldly say that even if an election is held tomorrow that my people will elect me with the highest number of preference votes as I live with the people and work for them