10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna

Independent Group 17 - Jaffna· Jaffna· 26 September 2025 ·Adjournment: Adjournment Debate: Fourth Report of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE)

Cost of LivingLaw & OrderCorruption & Governance Reform
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Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna raised concerns about drug trafficking and alleged weapons entering the country through containers, calling for truth, accountability, and equal enforcement of the law. He linked these concerns to broader issues of public health, child protection, and policy consistency, referencing Sri Lanka’s promotion as an inclusive destination for LGBTIQ persons by the Tourism Development Authority. He also urged Members of Parliament to focus on legislation, oversight, national policy, and asset transparency rather than ceremonial involvement in minor local works, while noting continued public hardship over fuel, vehicle costs, and living expenses.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 02 The biggest problem in this country is drugs. Who brought the drug containers? Who brought in weapons? When I raised this earlier, some called me “crazy.” As a doctor, I adhere to ethics and cannot label people. But certain conduct in this Chamber warrants clinical reflection: persistent delusions—clinging to false beliefs—and hallucinations—perceiving things not present—are not addressed by self-treatment; they require professional help.

¶ 03 Sri Lanka has just promoted itself as a safe, inclusive, and welcoming destination for LGBTIQ persons—Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer—through a Tourism Development Authority communication. While we present ourselves internationally, we must also uphold consistency in values we profess locally: protect public health, children, and social order, and ensure policy coherence.

¶ 04 Members, let us also maintain dignity befitting Parliament. Some are inaugurating minor road patching and masonry as if that were the essence of our role. MPs should focus on lawmaking, oversight, and national policy, and be transparent about assets. I have publicly stated my NIC and total assets. Those who make grand claims should also declare.

¶ 05 Ordinary people still suffer: fuel prices, vehicle affordability, and daily costs remain high. System change must be substantive—not slogans. If weapons indeed entered via containers, it is a grave crime. The public deserves truth, accountability, and consistent enforcement regardless of status. Thank you.

Provenance

Source
Hansard, Friday, 26 September 2025 ·No. 1760588641001872 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Page · column
not yet extracted — page/column anchors are not in the current dataset; the source PDF is the citable location.
Permalink
/lk/speeches/17849

Cite as: Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 26 September 2025. No. 1760588641001872. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/17849