The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to state the Cabinet position led by the President on the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the establishment and maintenance of unlawful detention places and torture chambers at the Batalanda Housing Scheme—a matter of national and international concern.

¶ 02 The UNP Government elected in 1977 with a five-sixths majority: - Established the Executive Presidency via a referendum; - Unleashed major violence in 1977 against Tamils and opposition activists; - Enacted draconian laws like the 1978 Suppression of Terrorism and began anti-democratic legal regimes; - Dismissed 100,000 public servants after the 1980 strike; - Rigged the 1981 Jaffna DDC elections and burned the Jaffna Library; - Robbed parliamentary power via the infamous referendum that extended Parliament by six years; - Repressed trade unions, media, student movements, intellectuals and religious leaders, then orchestrated the racist pogrom of Black July 1983, dragging the country into three decades of civil war; - Used Black July to ban parties including the JVP, violated their rights and neutralized the JVP petition against the referendum theft.

¶ 03 From 1983, this illegal, anti-democratic, repressive rule evolved into state terrorism—murderous dictatorship. However much the rulers tried to suppress and rewrite history, since 21 September last year a new era has dawned where the people write their history.

¶ 04 Among the countless crimes during the 1987–1990 civil conflict, the Batalanda mass killing center’s Presidential Commission Report now draws national and international attention.

¶ 05 The 1994 change of Government was essentially to break this illegal, anti-democratic, dictatorial terror and restore democracy, to deliver justice to tens of thousands killed by state terror. Leaders exposed Suriyakanda mass graves and Batalanda-like torture sites, promising justice, truth and an end to that cruel political culture.

¶ 06 Accordingly, by warrants under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga appointed the Commission on 21 September 1995 (and reconstituted it on 15 December 1995; Gazette 902/8 of 19 December 1995).

¶ 07 After extensions, the Commission’s final report was transmitted on 21 May 1998, as certified by its Secretary G.K.G. Perera, with all files and records deposited in the National Archives on 20 May 1998, including a copy of the final report.

¶ 08 Further, by letter of 16 March 2000, the Additional Secretary to the President instructed the Government Printer to print Sinhala and Tamil translations as sessional papers, with 500 Sinhala and 250 Tamil copies by 27 March.

¶ 09 Astonishingly, not one of those 750 printed copies was sent to the Attorney-General. Thus, those who called the Commission failed to act on its recommendations and used it as a political football at elections. The chief accused himself told Al Jazeera it was not even presented to Parliament.

¶ 10 This report exists thanks to thousands who braved danger to testify against powerful perpetrators. It is a fraction of the tears and anguish of mothers like Manoharani Saravanamuttu and countless families of those abducted, tortured and murdered.

¶ 11 Thirty-five years since 1990, thirty since the Commission began, and twenty-five since its issuance, my party and Cabinet now bear the duty to present this report to Parliament and place it before the people.

¶ 12 We thank all officials who strived to compile this 208-page report. For centuries, perpetrators used oppression, wealth and power to escape the law. Yet, on 21 September 2024, a long-held dream of our people began to be realized when this report, hidden in a dark storeroom for 25 years, finally saw the light.

¶ 13 Invoking the spirit of those who sacrificed for justice—including Vijeyadasa Liyanarachchi—I now lay this weighty report before Parliament.

¶ 14 Like Tupac Amaru declared, “I will return and I will be millions!” After a generation, millions of Sri Lankans have begun to win the first phase of our just struggle. Therefore, we present this report not merely as a record of the cruelty of the “executioners” who tried to snatch our motherland, but as living testimony of how political expediency can devastate a nation, and how democracy may be betrayed by classmates shielding each other.

¶ 15 With the light of law and justice now upon it, this report’s recommendations can be fulfilled. I table it and state:

¶ 16 - We will refer the report to the Attorney-General. - The President will appoint a special committee to propose implementation steps. - At an appropriate time, we expect a two-day debate in Parliament. - We propose to print the report in Sinhala, Tamil and English for MPs and the public. - We intend to present the 28 volumes of evidence to Parliament in due course.

¶ 17 We invite all committed to justice to help lift this moral burden from our motherland. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.