The Hon. K. Kader Masthan

¶ 01 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I begin my remarks by thanking you for the time allocated to speak on the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) and the Foreign Loans (Repeal) Bill. The objective of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) is to bring improvements to the operations of the justice system. Today, we even see incidents where an accused is shot dead inside court. This amendment primarily aims to prevent such situations and to ensure the safety of accused persons by enabling them, in specified circumstances, to appear digitally from where they are without being physically produced in court, for example for remand extensions or certain applications. This is a good, commendable step. It will also reduce transportation and security costs when moving accused from places of detention to court.

¶ 03 Likewise, court decisions must be people-centric. Unfortunately, in some instances, institutions within the justice system act situationally. I refer to the road from Puttalam through Ilavankulam and Marichchikatti to Mannar that is currently closed under a court order. We accept the independence of the judiciary and we respect the court. While the case must proceed without interference, there were many rounds of discussions in the past about reopening this road. We even discussed it with the former President, with officers from the Attorney-General’s Department present. From the outset, we believed the matter was mishandled. The court did not prohibit using the road as is; it permitted use while the case proceeded. However, by conveying incorrect impressions to line agencies, the matter was hastily concluded at the Attorney-General’s Department, which has raised doubts.

¶ 04 When the Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Hon. Prime Minister visited Mannar, both expressed favourable sentiments about reopening this road. Previous administrations also held discussions with the Attorney-General’s Department aiming for a positive resolution. Yet, commentary appeared in the media with little regard for the circumstances of minorities. As this amendment seeks to improve judicial processes, similarly the Attorney-General should provide just guidance in this matter so a fair outcome is reached.

¶ 05 Sri Lanka’s economy is under severe strain. The closure forces detours of nearly 100 kilometres even for Jaffna-Mannar travel, increasing time and cost. It is also a tourist area. The order causes real hardship though we respect the court. We will continue discussions on reopening; we have given explanations and have suggestions.

¶ 06 Some social activists framed the case as an environmental issue. We can use this road without environmental harm or harm to wildlife. The judgment was by a three-judge bench. Even so, the Hon. Minister of Environment and the Hon. Minister of Justice should discuss with the Attorney-General’s Department what can be done to reopen the road. During the 1990 displacement of Muslims, that was the route to Puttalam and it was in use then.

¶ 07 Specifically, the road was closed in 2019 on the claim that the Kallaru (Kala Oya) bridge on that route was unfit for use. Attempts were made to inject an ethnic angle and blame then rulers. The bridge, opened during the good governance period, was also closed during that same period. We made efforts to repair it, but politics disrupted them. Under then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, arrangements to reopen the bridge were not properly made. A group stirred matters, filed a case in Puttalam and turned it into a controversy. Without political interference, the road could have been reopened then.

¶ 08 Therefore we propose resolving this through a Cabinet decision. Without harming the environment or wildlife, the road can be designed as a dual carriageway. Please convene a discussion with the Attorney-General’s Department and the RDA to arrange the reopening.

¶ 09 I must also thank the people of Vanni District. In the recent local authority elections, the Sri Lanka Labour Party that I initiated, together with our independent groups, secured 29 members in the Vanni electoral districts — Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu — and two more elsewhere, 31 in total. My thanks to the people. We also gained members in Gampaha District’s Biyagama Pradeshiya Sabha and in the Kattankudy Pradeshiya Sabha within 40 days. In the last Parliamentary Election I contested with significant support; this time, even greater support was evident, with our independent group obtaining nearly 2,000 votes in one area — we acknowledge this progress.

¶ 10 Finally, there is a meeting on lands chaired by the Prime Minister today. I urge: do not continue the old system used by previous governments regarding land issues in the North, where minorities voted overwhelmingly for you. Do not let your actions harm them. Decisions exist to release lands gazetted by the Forest Department after 1985 without proper procedure, but releases are delayed due to lack of cooperation by the Forest Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Please resolve this, recover and release homestead and development lands for our people.

¶ 11 Thank you.