The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, the Tamil nation faces multiple crises under the Ministry of Defence. I believe three-fourths of the island’s troops are concentrated in the North and East. Official figures say there are about 317,000 troops in Sri Lanka, with a population of about 22.2 million. That is a ratio of roughly one soldier per 14 people. Of these, three-fourths are concentrated in the North and East.

¶ 02 If you visit the North and East, you will see a military presence unlike any other district. Along all roads there are camps and insignia; Tamils still live under military control, in an open-air prison. In countries like Greece, Venezuela, Russia, Lithuania, it is about 1 soldier per 12 people; here it is 1 per 14. Why so many troops in a country without war? In this Budget, Rs. 4,218.2 billion is shown for defence, of which Rs. 2,898.1 billion is recurrent—mostly salaries—consumed by the troops.

¶ 03 Just before this, the Hon. Prime Minister said there is a shortage of 43,000 teachers: nearly 2,000 vacancies in national schools and over 41,000 in provincial schools. While education faces a huge deficit, troops are massed in a peacetime country; camps are maintained; the North is treated as an open-air prison. Troops cultivate gardens, selling produce and vegetables in Jaffna markets, especially around Palaly Camp. They run “salons” and restaurants. In other countries, any “salon” would be internal for soldiers, not to extract money from civilians. I think only in Sri Lanka do soldiers run salons charging the public. In some restaurants, unsuitable food is served; some youth in camps are even supplied alcohol and drugs. I witnessed at Ellangkulam, Valvettithurai, near a Heroes’ Resting Place, that youths were intoxicated. With so many private businesses around, why run a restaurant in a camp luring Tamil youths astray? This shows a deliberate plan to destroy a section of the population. Please pay serious attention.

¶ 04 Day before yesterday in Geneva, the Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs, Wijitha Herath, said they would find a solution through a domestic mechanism. For over 15 years, successive governments have been saying this. In September 2015, then Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said, “We will accept everything and reach a solution.” But last September, your Government said, “We will not accept it.” Now again you say “domestic mechanism.” This shows that a fair process to investigate injustices to Tamils is being blocked.

¶ 05 Defence allocations: Rs. 375 billion in 2023; Rs. 425 billion in 2024; Rs. 437 billion in 2025. It keeps rising; neither funds nor forces are reduced. Is there an ongoing war? If not, why so much to the military? Meanwhile, for social welfare: Rs. 161 billion in 2023; Rs. 78 billion in 2024; Rs. 43 billion in 2025—drastically reduced. While welfare declines, defence rises. Without understanding and addressing the root problems through fair inquiry and solutions, how will you rebuild the economy if you keep pouring funds into war-time allocations?

¶ 06 Only Rs. 1,320 billion is allocated for capital expenditure. Without proper capital investment, there is no industry, no income. Out of total Rs. 4,218 billion, Rs. 2,898 billion goes to salaries; only Rs. 1,320 billion to capital—far too low. To change this, mindsets must change; only then can you understand people’s needs.

¶ 07 In Jaffna District’s Valikamam North, 13 Grama Niladhari divisions with about 2,700 acres remain under the military as a High Security Zone; residents still remain displaced. When we ask to resettle them, successive governments say they are considering alternative plans, even building multi-storey flats, yet lands are not released. Since Independence in 1948, and following the pogroms of 1983 and 1990, Tamils have faced protracted internal displacement. No government has had an effective plan to release their lands—this is deeply troubling.

¶ 08 In Valikamam North, people’s lands were seized in the 1980s for expanding Palaly Air Base—claimed as acquisition. People were evicted and no compensation has been paid. Today, again, news emerges of widening the runway requiring further acquisitions. People wait with tears for compensation and land return, while their lives remain stagnant and justice is denied. Under the guise of security, allocating such funds cannot be justified.

¶ 09 In Kilinochchi town, around 39 percent of land remains under the military. Military even occupies land inside the Kilinochchi District Secretariat—about two acres seized for a camp. Is there any other district secretariat in Sri Lanka with a military camp inside? Students of Kilinochchi Maha Vidyalaya must walk about 1.5 km to reach their playground, although a 100-metre pathway exists but is blocked, forcing a long detour. This is not only in Kilinochchi but many Tamil areas. Under the security pretext, such acts continue. Justice must be done; lands must be released. Continuing land grabs under “security” leads the country into a dangerous situation.

¶ 10 Next, with the Public Security Minister present: many are summoned for inquiries. Recently, members of the Kanakapuram Heroes’ Resting Place committee in Kilinochchi, who put up a fence for protection, including its secretary, were summoned. At Vihara in Vavuniya, related to a protest, even two journalists, a religious leader Velan Swamigal, and former MP Selvarajah Kajendran were summoned. People cannot even exercise democratic rights due to the blanket of “security.”

¶ 11 In many schools, during inter-house sports, students are prevented from using the image of the Karthigai flower. The Karthigai flower appears in textbooks; it is not banned in Sri Lanka. Yet if children craft such symbols or traditional motifs for their houses, the responsible teacher and principal face inquiry. If it is banned, remove it from textbooks; otherwise, why prohibit it? These injustices in the name of security must end.

¶ 12 Do you see all equally as brothers with equal rights? Under transitional justice, Sri Lanka accepted in September 2015 at the UNHRC that people have the right to commemorate the dead and to clean Heroes’ Resting Places. Governments may have changed, but Sri Lanka accepted this. Even today, when people go to Heroes’ Resting Places, Police summon them for inquiry.

¶ 13 We Tamils lived through long war. During State-imposed economic embargoes, we suffered immensely—washing clothes with ash, using bicycle dynamos to listen to radio news; no petrol, even essentials blocked. Having survived that, we still live under military occupation. While I said it is one soldier per 14 people nationally, in the North-East with three-fourths of the forces, it is roughly one soldier per six Tamils. First, reduce this. Stop running pre-schools and salons by the Army; stop luring youths. Do not dump soil on farmers’ heads; allow them to cultivate their own lands. Prioritise people’s livelihoods. Do not harm people’s lives in the name of “security enhancement.” I conclude.