The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, based on a joint decision by all parties representing the Opposition, we of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi will also leave the sitting. Across the country, including the North and East, hundreds of thousands have been affected. Since yesterday evening after 6.00 p.m., the Government has not announced the latest death toll. We asked to allocate today’s time to discuss shortcomings and how to better carry out relief, and what must be done in each district. You know that the Mawilaru anicut has breached and a crisis has arisen in Trincomalee. There are grave problems across the North and East. Our MPs have come to Colombo amidst difficulties to seek solutions for our people.

¶ 02 ITAK has wide international links and controls many local authorities in the North and East. Our local authorities must participate in programmes undertaken by the Central Government and the Executive, including the President and Ministers. How is that to be done? How do we coordinate assistance? How do we bring relief to those affected in the North and East? We requested some more hours today for this. We even agreed to support passing the Budget without debate in two days. You did not agree. Had at least six hours been given today, we could have raised the issues in our districts.

¶ 03 Many Tamil-speaking people have been killed in the Central Province; some villages are completely destroyed. This is not merely a natural disaster response; due to failures, people have been effectively killed by Government actions. Allocating only about two hours in total gives five minutes per MP; in five minutes we cannot present our people’s issues. This is inappropriate governance. The Government fears that the views of people’s representatives reaching the public through this august House will expose them, and therefore we too will walk out. Thank you.