The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I speak on the human rights issues faced by the Tamil nation in Sri Lanka, as brought by Hon. Sumanthiran. This is a democratic country; under the Soulbury Constitution in 1947, independence came in 1948. But has everyone enjoyed that freedom? For nearly 50 years, the country was ruled under Emergency and the PTA. The PTA, brought temporarily for six months in 1979 under J.R. Jayewardene, effectively ruled the country for decades, degrading democracy and provoking youth to take up arms. It facilitated abductions, disappearances and mass graves.

¶ 02 Under the PTA, innocent Tamil and Muslim youth were turned into “criminals.” Torture was rampant — stripping, hanging upside down, inhaling chili smoke — and confessions extracted under torture were used to convict, even to impose death sentences. This is why the PTA must be repealed unconditionally. Successive governments used it; you should remove it now and earn that credit.

¶ 03 Over 40 journalists have been killed — including Ayathurai Nadesan (from the Inland Revenue, a journalist shot in broad daylight), Sivaram (kidnapped and killed), Sugirdharajan (killed for exposing the Trincomalee students’ killings), Lasantha Wickrematunge and Eknaligoda. Those involved held high office. Action against such crimes is welcome; human rights must be protected. Political prisoners who have suffered long should be released. Also, the right to employment is a human right. Around 2,700 locally qualified traditional medicine graduates (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha) since around 2017 are still awaiting appointments; while full resolution may be hard, provide them opportunities progressively. I conclude.