The Hon. Kitnan Selvaraj

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Hon. Sumanthiran has brought a valuable Adjournment Motion. The issues raised reflect long historical residues. For 76 years the ethnic question has undermined harmony and human rights and obstructed national development. We, as NPP, view this Motion as a petition urging the Government to remove that obstacle. It is welcome that he has included the Hill Country.

¶ 02 For 200 years, the Hill Country Tamil community’s history is written in gold but marked by suffering and denial of rights. We, as NPP, recognized that Indian-origin Tamils are not aliens, but citizens who have contributed to the national economy, and must be recognized accordingly. Under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s leadership, we made the “Hatton Declaration,” proposing, among other things, that “Malaiyaha Tamils” be recognized — a term we have put to the UN — and that they be recognized as Sri Lankan citizens regardless of five generations’ residence. We proposed legal measures for land rights so Hill Country Tamils become landowners. We also proposed protecting and improving their education, with special allocations in forthcoming education reforms, including additional funding for Malaiyaha students.

¶ 03 This Motion also should have covered former LTTE combatants — many disabled — now destitute in places like Kokkadichcholai. In future, we, as NPP, will support recognizing them as citizens and extending full support. Thank you.