The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, we now have a President from the JVP and a JVP-led Government, with their first Budget before us. A Budget sets out the nation’s finances for security, livelihoods and development. I will highlight gaps and propose additions, starting with national security.

¶ 02 Recently, a person was murdered in open court in Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court No. 05. Earlier, in Middaniya, a man and his two small children were killed. Yesterday, on the Uswetakeiyawa beach, a person was made to kneel and shot dead. In Negombo, another was chased and shot in broad daylight; there was a shooting in Kotahena as well. With such killings across the country, where is national security? During the presidential campaign, Anura Kumara Dissanayake said there was no security and the Government was responsible.

¶ 03 On the Middaniya incident, the two little children are being buried today amidst the community’s grief. If I were there, I would attend on their behalf—whatever wrongs their father may have done. I express my deepest condolences to the families.

¶ 04 The deceased adult in that incident had shot and killed two people with a T-56 during the Aragalaya and injured four; some were in ICU at Karapitiya. Now his two children too are dead. I spoke here about the Aragalaya and the destruction in my district. It was a national uprising, with people from all parties involved; some died. The shooter could not be arrested then because no one came forward as witnesses—people were afraid. Had he been arrested then, perhaps these two children would be alive today. Silence then has consequences now.

¶ 05 That uprising erupted in Medamulana as well. The tombs of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s parents were desecrated; the house of Provincial Councillor Kapila Dissanayake and a Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman were attacked. A group arrived in a Defender and opened fire with T-56s on protesters. A young Muslim man from Yakgasmulla was killed; a teacher, R.P. Sugan Hakuruwela of Ginbunna, an education union leader in the JVP spheres, also died. The son of our rural organizer Deepika was critically injured. Many were wounded.

¶ 06 With such incidents recurring, where is national security? The man known as Aruna Widanagamage, alias “Kajja”, had a bunker in his Defender with two T-56 rifles recovered yesterday; more suspects are being arrested. He had been aligned with the Rajapaksas, later broke with Kapila Dissanayake, and shifted allegiances.

¶ 07 I request a thorough, proper investigation into his death. Some speculate he was killed because he might expose secrets of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa; others say it was retaliation for killing a school principal during the protests. The truth must be found.