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

The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna

Independent Group 17 - Jaffna· Jaffna· 9 May 2025 ·Debate: Private Members' Motion (P.2/2024): Curtailing Privileges of MPs and Former Heads of State

Justice & Human RightsParliamentary Procedure
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Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna said his parliamentary privileges had been violated when live telecasts of his speeches were blocked for eight days over statements he said he had not made. Citing the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act, Section 5, and Penal Code Section 190, he requested equal enforcement of the law and Standing Orders, protection of minority voices, and fair consideration by the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am proud to join this debate. We, the Tamil people, do not ask for personal security; I travel alone daily without protection or vehicle. But what is at issue is the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act—my privileges were violated when my speeches were barred from live telecast for eight days based on statements I did not make. Under Section 5 read with the Penal Code Section 190, distorting what a Member said in Parliament is punishable. Please ensure the law and Standing Orders are upheld equally and that minority voices are not suppressed. I have written to you; I appreciate your acknowledgement yesterday. Ensure fair action through the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

Provenance

Source
Hansard, Friday, 9 May 2025 ·No. 1748600585013314 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Page · column
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Permalink
/lk/speeches/24743

Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 9 May 2025. No. 1748600585013314. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/24743