The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, in this debate on the Resolution under the Public Security Ordinance, I wish to respond to some points of the Hon. Deputy Minister.

¶ 02 In the past, emergency law in this country was the backdrop to many journalists being killed or disappeared—Nimalarajan and Dharmeratnam Sivaram among others were unjustly killed. Those responsible have not been brought to justice. Similarly, justice has not been delivered in the killings of Nadarajah Raviraj or the Trincomalee university students.

¶ 03 Justice in this country appears selective—along ethnic or partisan lines. I saw this recently at Thayiddy village in Valikamam North, Jaffna. Land belonging to private owners within the Northern Provincial Council’s limits was forcibly taken during Gen. Shavendra Silva’s tenure and declared a High Security Zone. During COVID, a vihara called Tissa Vihara was constructed there. The owners and residents are protesting: “This should not be here; demolish it; release our land.”

¶ 04 On 21 December 2025, a peaceful protest was held by the landowners, Valikamam North PS members, and Velan Swami; I participated. The Police behaved brutally. Velan Swami, a respected Saiva priest known for speaking on human rights and social issues, was dragged and forced into a vehicle in a disgraceful manner. Had he been a Buddhist monk, the Police would have stood aside. Buddhist monks have even slapped police officers and used abusive language. But when it is a Hindu priest, there is no respect. I witnessed this firsthand. Along with him, landowner Padmanathan Sarujan, PS Members Anikshan Prem and Vanniyasingam Prabhakaran, and Valikamam East PS Chairman Thiyagarajah Nirosh were also forcibly arrested.

¶ 05 Again, on 3 January 2026, when an attempt was made to install a Buddha statue there, people gathered and protested peacefully—yet massive numbers of police were deployed compared to the crowd, and intimidation prevailed. Cases have now been filed in the Mallakam Court against PS members and even against me; I learnt of it through the media without even being served summons. Velan Swami too was summoned.

¶ 06 Are you going to reconcile communities or perpetuate past wrongs? You speak of left-of-centre policy and uniting all to rebuild the country. But how? From 2010, Hindu temples in Valikamam North—Mayiliddy, Tholagatty, Thayiddy, Palaly, Vasavilan—were demolished. Here is a 2010 photo of Varasiddy Vinayagar Temple—now erased without a trace. The historic Kannikai Matha Church in Mayiliddy, 150 years old, stood intact until 2010 and was later demolished during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure using the military. If such historic Saiva temples and churches can be erased, why can a forcibly built Buddhist vihara not be removed?

¶ 07 You say things are “different” in Jaffna; yes—the difference is continued repression. The North and East remain heavily militarized; people live under military control. Remove that, deliver a just solution to the Tamil people, and you will be recognized as good leaders. Please reflect and act.