http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2012/02/26/pol04.asp


Govt will defeat UNHRC resolution against SL - Minister Maithripala

Sirisena
By Uditha KUMARASINGHE
SLFP General Secretary
and Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena called upon everybody to rally round
regardless of political affiliations to thwart attempts being made by certain
countries to bring a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC sessions to be
held in Geneva. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the
Government is confident that it would be able to defeat this resolution to be
moved against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC sessions. At present the Government has
confidence and is determined to overcome the challenge.
The Minister said massive public demonstrations will be conducted throughout
the country on February 27 to show the people’s solidarity to thwart the attempt
made by certain countries to move a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC
Sessions. It is very evident that pro-LTTE elements and its friendly
international forces are behind this move. During the past few months, President
Mahinda Rajapaksa has made a series of state visits and held bilateral talks
with World Leaders to educate them about on this attempt. The Government through
the External Affairs Ministry, diplomatic missions, embassies and other special
representatives has already educated our friendly countries and the
international community about the situation.
Referring to the increasing trend of demonstrations and other public
agitation campaigns, the Minister said there is an ulterior motive behind these
demonstrations and they are not motivated to seek economic redress. This is an
attempt made by certain elements in collaboration with international
organisations to topple the Government. Instead of engaging in trade union
activities, some Trade Union Leaders have also resorted to act according to a
political agenda to topple the Government.
Q: The UN Human Rights Session will be held in Geneva next week. A
strong anti Sri Lankan lobby is in the offing. Don’t these human rights
crusaders have a hidden agenda behind any attempts to protect human rights?
A: There is no hidden agenda because it has been exposed to the entire
world that pro-LTTE elements are behind this UNHRC attempt against Sri Lanka.
Though LTTE Leader Prabhakaran and his armed gang was destroyed militarily,
hardcore pro-LTTE elements who still operate in Western countries like the US,
UK, Canada, France, Germany and Norway have rallied round and raised funds
through various rackets conducted.
These pro-LTTE elements are behind some of the world powers. That is why when
the armed forces launched military operations against the LTTE, the US
categorically requested us not to attack the LTTE. But we continued military
operations against the LTTE as that was the biggest problem faced by the
country.
To take revenge from us, the US says they would vote in favour of the
resolution to be moved against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC Sessions as we refused
what they asked us to do.
Amidst pressure exerted by some Western countries, President Mahinda
Rajapaksa took the bold decision to defeat terrorism.
If that decision was
not taken at that time, today the country would have been divided into several
parts. We were able to safeguard the unitary status of the country due to bold
moves taken by the President. However, some Western countries have a hatred due
to the decision taken by the Government to defeat terrorism. Pro-LTTE elements
are behind some of these Western countries.
We have to realise this problem. Everybody should be united to defeat this
conspiracy. We should join hands to safeguard the country first, not the
Government. To safeguard the Government first the country should be safeguarded.
If the only the country is safeguarded, the Opposition can also engage in
politics. Everybody should rally round to defeat these forces in Geneva
regardless of their political affiliations.
There should be genuine unity among the people to defeat these conspiracies.
Massive public demonstrations will be conducted throughout the country on
February 27 to show the people’s solidarity to thwart the attempts by certain
countries to bring a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC Sessions. Instead
of safeguarding the Government, now we have engaged in the task of protecting
the motherland.
Q:The Government has to think of the international dimension as well
with the UNHRC sessions coming up next week. Are you confident that the
Government will be able to thwart attempts by certain countries to bring a
resolution against Sri Lanka?
A: Definitely. At present we are organising ourselves to thwart this
attempt. During the past few months the President made a series of state visits
to foreign countries and held bilateral talks with their Leaders to educate them
on the attempt to be made against Sri Lanka during the forthcoming UNHRC
sessions.
The Government through the External Affairs Ministry, diplomatic missions,
embassies and other special representatives has already educated our friendly
countries and the international community on this situation. We are confident
that we would be able to defeat this resolution to be moved against Sri Lanka at
the UNHRC sessions. We are confident and determined to succeed this challenge.
Q: When invisible hands are at work to discredit Sri Lanka at the
UNHRC sessions, shouldn’t the Opposition extend its fullest support to the
Government rather than create an unpleasant situation in the country?
A: That the approach adopted by the Opposition regarding this issuers
evident. Opposition Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe in a special statement in
Parliament on Wednesday requested to table all documents in Parliament which are
to be taken by the Government for the UNHRC sessions to be held in Geneva.
This is like keeping the chicken in the custody of the jackal. The Opposition
Leader wants to table these documents because they contain the answers to be
given to the charges levelled against us at the UNHRC sessions.
If we table these answers in Parliament before the UNHRC sessions, then Ranil
Wickremesinghe will be able to send these answers to the pro-LTTE elements in
Geneva to prepare their counter replies to these answers. To defeat the
Government’s resolution at the UNHRC sessions, the Opposition Leader wants the
Government’s answers to be send it to pro-LTTE elements and some international
forces to create an anti Sri Lankan lobby. We call upon the Opposition Leader
and other reactionary forces not to resort to such a treacherous and
opportunistic approach to gain narrow political objectives.
When Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister signed the Ceasefire Agreement
(CFA) with LTTE Leader Prabhakaran, even his party or the Cabinet were not
aware.
That CFA was not submitted to Parliament. Wickremesinghe who secretly signed
this agreement with Prabhakaran now requests the Government to table documents
to be presented at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva.
This shows how opportunistic and narrow minded, the Opposition Leader is.
That is why the UNP has not been able to come to power, as the majority of the
people are aware of this childish approach adopted by the UNP.
Q: The Oil price hike has hit the masses badly. The Government says it
is beyond its control. The Opposition rebuts that the increases are not
proportionate to actual price hikes in the international market. Would you like
to explain this situation?
A: The Opposition always attempts to take political mileage and attack
the Government. But when attention is focused on oil prices in the international
market, you find war clouds gathering all over the world and there is a virtual
collapse in world economies. The economies in certain Western countries like the
US and the UK have collapsed.
The US should be held responsible for creating this fuel crisis as they have
paved the way for war clouds in the world. Today Iraq or Libya are not producing
the quantity of oil they produced during the regime of Sadam Hussein or Gadaffi.
The oil production in Nigeria has also drastically reduced. Now the US is
targeting Iran. As a result there is a severe crisis between Iran and the
European countries. We are victims of the international fuel market. I reject
the claim made by the Opposition that there is no increase in fuel prices in the
international market. This is a false statement.
The price of a barrel of crude oil had gone up to $ 127 on February 23. This
is the actual situation. Earlier the Government had given a large amount of
subsidies for fuel. Subsidies were also granted for electricity. We have to
realise the Government is not in a position to continue these subsidies any
more.
Three years ago, Sri Lanka was recognised as a poor and third world country
by the UN, IMF, World Bank and the ADB. But all these international monetary
organisations and other international institutions have now accepted Sri Lanka
as a country which has recorded significant economic growth. Sri Lanka has been
able to achieve 8 percent economic growth last year.
In this situation, subsidies given on fuel were removed. Even today an
electricity subsidy has been given to those who use below 150 units.
No subsidy has been granted for those who exceed these limits. We should be
alert about the crisis situation in Iran.
If we took the decision to increase fuel prices six months later, we would
have faced severe economic hardship.
As politicians who have come to this position with the help of the ordinary
people and always live with them, we have understood the economic hardship faced
by them. That is why steps were taken by the Government to grant subsidies to
several sectors.
The Government has already decided to give fuel subsidies to Samurdhi
beneficiaries, fishermen, school vans and three wheelers. We should face the
political reality and the true picture of the economy without considering
opportunistic politics of the Opposition.
If the Opposition was in power, what would have been the decision taken by
them? At present the Opposition and anti-Government elements criticise the fuel
hike. But they do not submit any solution to overcome this situation.
It was the UNP Government which destroyed the assets of the Ceylon Petroleum
Corporation (CPC).
The CPC had engaged in the production of a series of by products and agro
chemicals which are required for farmers.
After 1977, all these CPC-owned business ventures and a large number of its
properties were vested to the private sector by the UNP Government. It is
necessary to understand this situation.
We have realised the difficulties faced by the people and every possible
measure will be taken to grant relief. However, it is essential to maintain an
economic balance. Otherwise the economy will collapse. We cannot be isolated.
We live in a universal society which is connected with international economy,
politics and other social factors.
Therefore we have to face these problems and succeed. We will defeat false
propaganda campaigns carried out by the Opposition. We would not allow the
Opposition to destabilise the country through their various demonstrations.
The Government through subsidies and other welfare measures will minimise the
burden faced by the people.
Q:About the recent killing of a fisherman in Chilaw, you had said that
the Police should have been more circumspect in handling public protests. Can
you elaborate on this?
A: There are two sides to this issue. In a democratic country, there
is a legal right to engage in demonstrations and protest marches. Before we came
to this position, we have also resorted to similar activities. But today the
Opposition and some NGOs specially operate in Sri Lanka as sole representatives
of international forces which act against Sri Lanka and have invested money here
to topple the Government.
Their intention is to form a Western-oriented Government which dances
according to their whims and fancies. It was not the genuine fishermen who were
behind the demonstration held in Chilaw. An NGO was behind this scene and it was
handled by a priest who is also connected to the Katunayaka Free Trade Zone
incident.
The NGO groups controlled by Western forces have resorted to these
demonstrations and other public agitation campaigns.
They want to provoke those who participate in these demonstrations. That is
why they attempt to create unnecessary panic. The Police was unable to control
that demonstration.
Under these circumstances, we have to think of both sides. On the one hand,
the people’s right to protest should be ensured.
But if the demonstrators resort to violence and exceed the limit of an
ordinary demonstration, then the Police or the Security Forces have to be
deployed to control them. This is the situation of any country.
The organisations that act against the Government want to create a serious
incident by even sacrificing the life of a person.
We should not get caught to these traps. It is necessary that Police officers
act intelligently and tactfully to deal with such situations.
Q:Foreign interference in our internal affairs appears to have become
a new development when it was reported that a recent foreign delegation wanted
the Government to remove the military camps in the North and the East. How do
you look at this situation?
A: At present most of the people have forgotten war against the
terrorism which prevailed in the country. LTTE now that has ended, pro-LTTE
elements and the diaspora who live in foreign countries hatch political
conspiracies to topple the Government.
Their intention is to create violence in the country to disrupt peace and
national security.
The Security Forces have to curb these LTTE spy services and other activists.
We could not arrest all the LTTE activists. Some of them were killed at the
battlefront and some have been rehabilitated. But there is another group of LTTE
activists who are outside the country.
The hardcore LTTEers who live in various foreign countries are still
conducting various organizational activities. We cannot give room for these
activities within the country. That is why the Security Forces are still
maintaining military camps in the North and the East.
We have just completed only two years after the terrible war against
terrorism. We have to seriously consider this. Still some LTTE remnants may
remain in the country. It takes certain time frame for complete freedom.
Q: There are allegations that the Government is cracking down on the
people’s right to protest. At the same time some Government Ministers have said
that unseen political hands and NGOs are behind the protests, which they say are
a start of a conspiracy to topple the Government. What are your comments on
this?
A: The UNP or the JVP has no right whatsoever to oppose to the moves
taken by the Government to control demonstrations which go beyond accepted
limits of democratic norms. We know the moves taken by J.R.Jayewardene and
R.Premadasa Governments during their 17 years rule to suppress the Opposition.
How many people were assaulted and killed by former UNP Governments who
participated in Opposition demonstrations? As a political party the JVP has a
notorious political history of unleashing violence, killing thousands of
innocent people and destruction of public property.
Therefore the JVP is the political party which is held responsible to
introduce this cult of violence. During their regime, the UNP introduced stern
rules and regulations and deployed the Armed Forces to suppress the working
class and their political opponents.
Ranil Wickremesinghe was also a Minister and was a Prime Minister. But most
of the new UNP Parliamentarians don’t have any understanding how the country was
ruled by former UNP Governments.
These newly elected UNP MPs have not held any ministerial portfolios or they
don’t have any experience of ruling the country under the UNP. But they pretend
to be clever critics in Parliament, political stage and even before the media.
The people could see the true nature of the UNP when it was in power.
It is ironic that the UNPers posed themselves as mere “upasakas” when they
are in the Opposition. In our history, there is no any other political party
like UNP which has unleashed violence and suppress the democratic rights of the
people.
Q: Are these protests, demonstrations, rallies and other public
agitation campaigns really motivated to seek economic redress or do they have an
ulterior motive injurious to the country?
A: Definitely, there is an ulterior motive behind this. This is an
attempt made by certain elements in collaboration with international
organisations to topple the Government. Instead of doing trade union activities,
some Trade Union Leaders have also resorted to political activities to topple
the Government. It is clear that a large number of NGOs and other international
organisations are behind them.
Q: What is the delay in the parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to
begin its sessions? What is the TNA’s difficulty in participating in the PSC?
A: Actually there is no delay on the part of the Government. So far
the TNA has not made its representation to the PSC. We have appointed the PSC
and proposed the TNA to participate. Instead of participation the TNA and the
UNP have engaged in various treacherous activities against the country with the
intention of weakening the Government.
Q: It is said that the Government has already taken steps to implement
the LLRC recommendations. What is the progress?
A: Some of the recommendations made by the LLRC have already been
implemented. Recommendations and activities of the LLRC will be implement
through the PSC. That is why the Government requests the Opposition to
participate in this PSC.
However, the UNP and the TNA are not prepared to participate in the PSC. This
is the true situation. Therefore the UNP and the TNA should be sincere to sit
together and discuss to find a solution to this problem.
Q:There was media speculation about a Cabinet reshuffle. Is there any
truth in this?
A:I deny those media reports.
Q: Today the health sector is free of strikes, work-to-rule campaigns
and similar protests. What is the secret? Have you waved a magic wand?
A: When we take the health sector trade unions, their situation has
completely changed. They are not in the same position they were two years ago. I
allocate time to hold discussions with trade unions. I am always ready to listen
to the voice of trade unions and consider them as friends.
I am there for genuine grievances and try to give possible relief and
privileges. I have been able to create a close rapport with trade unions. But
there are some trade unions which are directly connected to some political
parties.
For example there are some trade unions which are affiliated to the JVP and
its breakaway group called “Jana Aragala Movement”. Under cover of the trade
union banner, these politically motivated trade unions in association with some
NGOs have engaged to topple the Government. They have misled some trade union
members as well. We are a Government which is committed to safeguard the rights
of trade unions. As the Health Minister and the SLFP General Secretary, I have a
huge responsibility on all these sectors. Therefore we are dealing with trade
unions in a friendly manner.