The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I welcome the Motion of Hon. Rajeevan, but this is one that should be brought by the Opposition. It is surprising that a Government Member has brought it. This Motion is like ignoring the elephant in the room. Today, out of 20 military divisions, 16 are stationed in the North and East—especially 14 in the North. The Navy has established camps along the coast, occupying civilian lands up to two kilometres inland. In Mullaitivu there is one soldier for every two civilians; in Jaffna, one soldier for every 14 civilians; in the Vanni, one for every 10. The military claims superior intelligence capabilities. In such a heavily militarized context, can we believe this drug crisis emerged without the involvement of the military?

¶ 02 When the “Grease Devil” phenomenon arose, soldiers fled from the public. The “Aava group” is widely known to have been Police-led. Even today, some users and distributors run into Army and Navy camps for refuge. Without acknowledging this reality, do not dream that the same military apparatus can solve the problem. The military still views Tamils as adversaries; unless that mindset changes, this problem cannot be solved. If this Government is different, recognize this truth and act accordingly.