The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I am pleased to participate in the Committee Stage Debate on the Ministry of Justice and National Integration. The NPP Government has not engaged in racist rhetoric so far and we welcome that. Tamils are a strong force in this country and that must be fully acknowledged. We ask for justice. The Prevention of Terrorism Act must be repealed. The President and the Hon. Minister also referred to this yesterday; if that happens, we will welcome it.

¶ 02 Next, justice must be given to families of the disappeared. When the war ended, our people surrendered their family members—to the Army at Vattuvagal/Saptakannimar temple premises and elsewhere including detention camps and the sea. Those surrendered at Vattuvagal were taken by bus towards Kokku Thoduvaai, Keppapulavu, and along the Vattuvagal coastal road. Families say: “We handed them to the Sri Lankan Army; we have not seen them since. Where are they?” Hon. Minister, act justly. People say those taken by bus toward the Vattuvagal coastal road were dropped and the bus alone returned.

¶ 03 Vattuvagal is a purely Tamil Saiva village. There are no Buddhists there, yet a large Vihara has been built. People say those surrendered were killed, buried there, and a Vihara was built over it. If your conscience is clear, prove it. Remove it and dig deep, or use modern instruments that can detect what lies beneath and reveal the truth. Please also secure justice regarding the Kokku Thoduvaai mass grave. Hon. Minister, attend to this. Perhaps if you deliver justice, you will receive justice as Judge Saravanaraja did. We trust the present Government. We expect you to deliver justice on this.

¶ 04 On prisoners: Under the PTA, Anandhasuthakar of Maruthanagar, Kilinochchi, father of two, is serving life in the Colombo Magazine Prison. His wife died on 2018.03.18. Amid tight security he was brought for the last rites. When he tried to board the prison bus after the ceremony, his children clung to his hand and boarded—this moved everyone. Hon. Minister, deliver justice. Also release those in prison under the guise of “political prisoners.”

¶ 05 On lands: Before 2009, the Forest Department had 222,006 acres in Mullaitivu including dense forests. After 2009, it holds 432,121 acres. People’s chena (millet) lands, home gardens and paddy lands that were in use have been absorbed into “forest” with boundary stones, without consulting Grama Niladhari, landowners, Divisional or District Secretaries. Please look into this. Without access to their livelihood lands, people suffer greatly—not only in Mullaitivu, but also in Mannar and Vavuniya. Put in place a mechanism to return cultivation lands to the people.

¶ 06 In Mullaitivu, there are over a hundred military camps. The troop-to-population ratio is about one soldier for every two civilians. About 35,000 acres are held by the military, most of it people’s livelihood and residential lands. In such a situation, how can we vote for your Ministry’s Votes? Release the lands to the people. Thereafter, we will be with you. Thank you.