The Hon. Bhagya Sri Herath, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, respectfully, I request one more minute.

¶ 02 From the Hansard of 9 June 1981, I wish to read a short translated excerpt from the speech of V. Yogeswaran, MP for Jaffna. After he said, “The police are setting fire in Jaffna,” the record notes in brackets, “The House laughs.” He then said, “Hon. Speaker, when they laugh, the whole world laughs at them. You have set fire to part of a great city, and you show only a mocking smile.” He said this to the then UNP government. Even 40 years later we hear “the world will laugh at us.” What happened? A decades-long war resulted. If the events of 1981 and 1983 had not occurred, a 30-year war might have been avoided and tens of thousands of lives saved, and our economy may have fared far better. Yet a Member earlier said it was the 2019 government that did this. There is much that could be read.

¶ 03 With friendship and peace, Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people are now journeying together past Kilinochchi towards Jaffna. I wish them well and conclude.

¶ 04 Thank you.