The Hon. (Mrs.) Anushka Thilakarathne, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, this debate is on the government’s decision to extend the emergency.

¶ 02 Some men in our villages come home drunk in the evening and abuse their wives and children who have worked hard all day—breaking the few pots and pans at home. The Opposition behaves similarly—breaking the “empty house”—making meaningless statements at a time when the country and the world are in crisis.

¶ 03 In school essays, some classmates would hunt for difficult words to impress, writing things even they didn’t understand—nor the reader. That is how some in the Opposition speak here—throwing around jargon: “Did you power this machine? Did you see the bomb timer?” For 76 years those same people governed and drove the country into the worst abyss, and now question us with technobabble.

¶ 04 In the current Middle East conflict, we are acting as a neutral state, in line with international law, the law of the sea, and the 1907 Hague Convention. We have not taken sides. We value human life and humanity. We rescued 208 sailors, brought 84 bodies from a previous vessel, and saved 32 lives earlier. As a sovereign, impartial state we acted to protect humanity. We have no desire to interfere in others’ wars.

¶ 05 On the need for emergency: after “Dittu,” we launched “Rebuilding Sri Lanka,” a structured, methodical response to an unprecedented disaster—while recovering from state bankruptcy we inherited. Under emergency, we aimed to deliver maximum relief to people. We established a national coordination mechanism with eight subcommittees: Post-Disaster Needs Assessment; Public Infrastructure Restoration; Local Economy and Livelihoods Revival; Social Infrastructure Restoration; Finance and Funds; Data and Information Systems; and Public Communication.

¶ 06 Many districts suffered heavy losses of life and property—homes fully or partially damaged, livelihoods lost, education and universities disrupted. We had to help urgently. Some roads were declared to require six to seven years to rebuild, yet with RDA support and public cooperation we restored access. We did not use force; we acted humanely. If we misused emergency, present the evidence; do not make empty claims.

¶ 07 As of 03 March 2026, according to the Disaster Management Centre, 64,901 families (222,044 persons) are affected; 32 safety centres remain active, housing 149,927 people. These are our citizens. Beyond material support, they need psychosocial assistance. We are making that commitment.

¶ 08 Please understand the Opposition’s role responsibly and allow the state to conduct effective diplomacy and governance in this difficult time. Thank you.