The Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, we welcome the Government bringing the Workers’ National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Bill. In particular, the plantation workers constitute a workforce that plays a major role in this country. In the past, successive governments deceived them with promises of wage increases merely to harvest their votes. Now, this Government has taken efforts to ensure fair wages for private sector employees. Not only that, it had already increased the basic salary of public servants. This is welcome. However, prices of goods and services have risen sharply. Prices increase faster than wages. Therefore, the Government must consider both matters and grant suitable wage increases to workers.

¶ 02 The Government has taken up some preliminary matters, including the mass graves issue, to investigate the Tamil genocide. Excavations are ongoing and human remains have been found—of youths, elders, even children—and Tamil mothers’ wombs were destroyed. This stands as evidence of genocide. Such investigations must be conducted to international standards with cooperation from international countries and courts, because past domestic mechanisms revealed only falsehoods and our people have lost faith in them.

¶ 03 Genocide was not only at Chemmani. In the North and East there were many massacres: in Ampara District—Veeramunai, Thirukovil/Thiraikerni, “Central Camp,” Udumbankulam, Satturukondan; and in Trincomalee District—many such incidents. These were carried out to erase Tamils from their ancestral lands, with collaboration between the Sri Lankan Army and Muslim “Jihad” home guards in some places, slaughtering without distinction of age or gender, even cutting open the mother’s womb. If you dig in Veeramunai today, or Thiraikerni/Thirukovil, you will still find human remains. Anywhere you dig in the North and East, you will find evidence and documents of planned killing. From Independence to 2009, the Tamil nation was systematically killed. We appeal through this House for international justice and fairness for the hundreds of thousands killed. Thank you.