The Hon. Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I am pleased to participate in this debate on the regulations under the Convention against Doping in Sport Act. We welcome the Government bringing these regulations. Youth in the North and East, especially Mannar and Vavuniya, are showing great talent in football and cricket. Students and youth from those districts are excelling and seeking opportunities. In Mullaitivu, however, there is no public sports ground despite repeated requests over the years. We ask that land be identified and a ground established immediately. In Vavuniya, although the Cricket Board reportedly allocated large funds to build a cricket ground, a site has still not been finalized. Given the enthusiasm, the Minister should ensure these plans are implemented.

¶ 02 Our Tamil youth are talented in football, cricket, karate, and kung-fu, but were neglected in the past. Whether due to racism or other reasons, they were not given opportunities to reach international levels. We need apolitical, merit-based sports governance. Identify talented youth across all regions and communities and give them opportunities. Despite our support to past Governments, our youth were not given chances. Going forward, do not view sports through an ethnic lens.

¶ 03 Specifically in Mannar, I have raised the status of grounds at Naruvilikulam, Pallimunai, and Emilnagar. After my speeches, the Minister visited them. We suspect corruption in the Emilnagar ground development: during Minister Jayasekera Dayasiri’s tenure, large sums were reportedly allocated through me, but work has not progressed though money seems withdrawn. Please investigate. On Naruvilikulam, works started but are slow—please expedite. Pallimunai also needs attention; there are many talented youth in Pallimunai, Pesalai, and Vankalai but insufficient grounds. Mannar is a football-strong district; with support, youth can shine at school and district levels and internationally. Kindly focus on these.

¶ 04 The Football Federation’s activities are weak. District teams have not been formed for years, leading to court cases. Even court orders are ignored. Please look into this. In many places, especially in Mannar, league administration has been stalled for years. In Mantai–Vettankulam area it has become a problem; despite court directions to hold elections, the Federation is indifferent. Please intervene.

¶ 05 Likewise, cricket saw political interference, hampering international performance. The Government must provide grounds and facilities in the North to encourage sports, not just in the North and East but across Sri Lanka, starting from schools. We welcome banning doping in sports. Our youth dream of becoming leading athletes in cricket, football, and karate—please pay attention.

¶ 06 On Mullaitivu’s long-pending district sports complex: land was identified in 2016, with surveys and soil and water tests completed, but the project was shelved. Many talented athletes are there. Given the trauma of war, building that complex would help youth recover and the district progress. In Mannar, the Naruvilikulam sports complex works also remain incomplete—please expedite.

¶ 07 On Chemmani mass graves: 19 complete human skeletons have been identified at the Chemmani Hindu Cemetery site; continuous excavation is reportedly planned for 45 days from the 20th. This must be properly excavated and investigated to ascertain truths. From the condition of the remains, it appears children and women may have been beaten to death and buried. No clothing has been found, suggesting nude burials after killings. In 1999, in the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy case, the Trial-at-Bar sentenced six soldiers to death; thereafter, Lance Corporal Somaratne revealed that up to 600 people were killed and buried in Chemmani. Some parts were excavated then and 25 skeletons recovered, but the process lapsed. Now, during other earthworks, a grave has again been found.

¶ 08 Over the last three decades of brutal war, countless Tamil civilians were killed; thousands disappeared; many were injured; 90,000 women widowed; 9,000 children orphaned. Mass killings occurred in many places. Sixteen years after the war, graves still surface. At least 13 suspected grave sites exist in the North and East; some excavated, like Mannar/Thiruketheeswaram (2013) and near the Sathosa building in Mannar (2018), with remains even sent to Florida and said to be from the Mannar era—yet no conclusive follow-up. In 2023, a grave was found in Kokkuthoduvai, Mullaitivu. Such discoveries during routine excavations have become common in the North and East.

¶ 09 Proper excavations must be conducted to determine periods and perpetrators. During the final war, thousands disappeared—those who surrendered to the military, were handed over by relatives, arrested, or abducted. What happened to them remains a mystery. Had Lance Corporal Somaratne not spoken, the Chemmani graves may not have come to light. Since information has now resurfaced, do not halt; proceed transparently, unlike previous Governments. Ensure full cooperation and resources for a complete excavation.

¶ 10 On equal access to essential services: I ask for equitable resource allocation to the Vanni District. Mullaitivu and Mannar still lack a single fire station. Mullaitivu has repeatedly lost both people and property—now even its land is threatened by fires. I welcome recent development plans, but please meet essential needs quickly. Ensure the right to live safely, equally, across all 25 districts.

¶ 11 Mullaitivu has about 122,542 people over 2,617 sq. km. Agriculture and fisheries are the main livelihoods. A fire can destroy years of toil and plunge families back into poverty. Drought increases fire risks; wildfires spread rapidly, destroying forests, farms, and homesteads. In 2024 alone, 647 hectares of natural forest have been lost. Shops and even thatched shelters have burned due to electrical faults in Nayaru and Kokkilai. Night fires cause greater damage. When fires occur, the nearest response is from Vavuniya, 80 km away, often taking two hours or more—by then lives and livelihoods may be lost.

¶ 12 Therefore, every district must have at least one functioning fire station. Do not let Mullaitivu, striving to rebuild, be repeatedly devastated. Establish fire services in Mullaitivu and Mannar urgently; this is not a luxury but an essential need. Yesterday, two shops in Mancholai, Mullaitivu, burned completely with multi-million-rupee losses. Please act now.