The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan

¶ 01 [4.56 p.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, today there was a boat accident en route from Gurunagar to St. Anthony’s Church, Paalai Theevu, within the boundaries of Poonakary Division in Kilinochchi District. Two have died: 57-year-old Stephen Francis of Navarkuzhi, and 80-year-old Joseph of Old Park Road, Gurunagar. More than ten are grievously injured and admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital. It is said the boat was not dispatched with proper safety, causing the accident. According to the Hospital Director, Dr. Sathiyamoorthy, these two losses have occurred. Through this august House we convey our condolences.

¶ 03 COVID-19 drove our economy to the abyss, followed by the Ukraine–Russia war, the Ditwah cyclone, and now the Gulf war – all have severely impacted the country, particularly the economy of Tamils in the North, East and the Up-Country.

¶ 04 Today, over one hundred thousand graduates have been unemployed for more than seven years without appointments. Many A/L qualified youth lack jobs; many flee the country due to unemployment. Hence we repeatedly urged in this House to immediately rehabilitate and develop the Kankesanthurai harbour to generate employment in the North and East. India has offered a grant of USD 61 million and is prepared to give more funds for this. However, Sri Lanka is not ready to sign the MoUs with India, because if youth in the North and East get jobs and livelihoods improve, this Government fears the political implications. In fact, MoUs that enhance trade and investment, transportation and regional connectivity, boost jobs, and strengthen Sri Lanka–India economic ties should be concluded without delay. Use India’s goodwill properly.

¶ 05 Regarding the Gulf war: the U.S. is at war with Iran, and Iran with several Arab states. Let me recall: in 2009, under the so-called “humanitarian operation” in Mullivaikkal, more than 146,000 people were killed or disappeared – as testified with evidence by the late Bishop Rayappu Joseph before the LLRC. In 2006, in Vakarai, Batticaloa, over 20,000 were killed. Justice has not been served in this country.

¶ 06 When Sri Lanka conducted war with the help of 22 countries, with aerial bombardments and multi-barrel shelling, nobody in the world spoke for us. If that was a “humanitarian operation,” then the war led by the U.S. today should also be justified. Why then is that condemned while our people’s losses here still lack justice and accountability? Instead, your Cabinet has decided that no genocide occurred and no investigation will be done. Then what is justice, reconciliation, accountability in this country?

¶ 07 The bloodstains of that war have not been washed away. The affected people are still on the streets protesting, and even those protests are not valued by this Government. Many of you in this Government then fully supported the military campaign when you were in the JVP; perhaps that is why you hesitate to deliver justice today. By these emergency regulations, you continue to keep our people under repression. At the University of Jaffna, students who opposed the Independence Day are now being investigated under the PTA. You have not yet created the conditions for Tamils to regard Sri Lanka’s Independence Day as their own; you have not given them reason to stand beneath the lion flag.

¶ 08 Even today, our youth are harassed; their existence is questioned; their Facebook pages are scrutinized; they are repeatedly summoned for inquiry; their social media is probed in courts and intelligence units. This emergency is against these people; that is why we oppose it. You continue to commit cruelty through these laws instead of understanding the truths of our people and delivering justice. Do not shed crocodile tears for others while refusing to answer for the atrocities here. First answer for what happened in this country; only then will justice be possible.