Topic
Ethnic Reconciliation & Devolution
885 speeches · 164 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna, M.P. Independent Group 17 - Jaffna | 67 |
| 2 | Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, M.P. ITAK | 51 |
| 3 | Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan, M.P. ITAK | 48 |
| 4 | Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam, M.P. ACTC | 37 |
| 5 | Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran, M.P. ITAK | 30 |
| 6 | Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, M.P. JJB | 27 |
| 7 | Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe, M.P. SLMC | 25 |
| 8 | Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, M.P. SLMC | 25 |
| 9 | Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar, M.P. JJB | 24 |
| 10 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 19 |
Speeches
885 on this topic- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka (on behalf of The Hon. Imran Maharoof) SJB AI summary Gayantha Karunathilleka, on behalf of Imran Maharoof, asked the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government about delays in designating Thoppur Sub-Divisional Secretary’s Division and the Kinniya Pradeshiya Sabha area as separate Divisional Secretary’s Divisions. He sought details on the obstacles to implementation, including the status of the Local Government Commission’s approval for Kinniya, and asked whether the Government would address disparities in the population distribution of Grama Niladhari Divisions in the Trincomalee District. Procedural: Point of Order on Public Petitions and Committee Discussion (Q.429/2025 Answer) Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. K. Kader Masthan SLLP AI summary Hon. K. Kader Masthan supported expanded plantation development in the North, including the planned 16,000 acres of coconut cultivation, and urged comparable programmes for palmyrah, rubber, oil crops such as mustard and sunflower, and spices through land release and value addition. He called for lands gazetted as forest after 1985 but not dense forest to be made available for cultivation, particularly to experienced displaced upcountry families now living in Northern districts. He also urged action on tabled reports concerning missing persons, the Trincomalee campus issue and the Mylanthanai killings, including accountability for those responsible. Additionally, he requested urgent rehabilitation and reopening of the Puttalam–Mannar–Marichchukkaddi–Jaffna road to shorten travel and support resettlement. Appropriation Bill 2025: Committee Stage - Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure (Heads 135, 293, 337) Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. Jeevan Thondaman UNP AI summary Hon. Jeevan Thondaman opposed relocating the Norwood Divisional Secretariat to premises above the Hatton railway station, arguing that resource shortages should be addressed by repairing and funding the existing office and that any decision must reflect public consultation, noting residents’ petitions would be tabled. He disputed claims that the District Coordinating Committee had made a binding decision and said the DCC could only advise the Central Government. He rejected calls for upcountry representatives to apologize, citing historical grievances faced by the plantation Tamil community, and urged unity across party lines on community issues. Responding to questions on housing funds, he said he would table documents and gave figures for houses completed under Sri Lankan and Indian-funded programmes during 2020-2024, attributing delays to cost increases after COVID-19, the economic crisis, and approval procedures for revised Indian-funded unit costs. Appropriation Bill 2025: Committee Stage - Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure (Heads 135, 293, 337) Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. Mano Ganesan SJB AI summary Mano Ganesan urged the Government to use its parliamentary majority and ministerial representation from the Hill Country Tamil community to address long-standing estate sector marginalization through practical governance rather than political rhetoric. He cited past initiatives including seven-perch land allocations, individual housing and “New Villages,” new Pradeshiya Sabhas and Divisional Secretariats, amendments enabling local authority spending in estate areas, and land allocations for estate schools, calling for their continuation and implementation. He asked that Norwood Divisional Secretariat not be shifted, that estate roads and companies’ contributions be addressed, the NVDA be revitalized, and that promised wage increases and stakeholder status for estate workers be delivered. Appropriation Bill 2025: Committee Stage - Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure (Heads 135, 293, 337) Read →
- 14 March 2025 The Hon. Palani Thigambaram SJB AI summary Palani Thigambaram welcomed the Budget’s acknowledgement of the Hill Country Tamil community but urged the Government to move beyond statements and implement concrete programmes for estate people. He defended his record as Minister during 2015–2019, denying allegations of corruption or political favouritism and citing housing and development work carried out for estate communities. He called for continuity in addressing the long-standing problems of the Hill Country population, offered cooperation if the Government delivers, and asked the Minister to focus more on estate residents as well as plantation issues. Appropriation Bill 2025: Committee Stage - Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure (Heads 135, 293, 337) Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe welcomed the guaranteed price for paddy but said it was announced too late in Ampara and other Northern and Eastern districts, after much of the harvest had been sold, and requested that future prices be declared before harvesting begins. He urged the Government and the Chair to uphold parliamentary decorum, prevent racist or personal remarks, and promote inter-communal unity in the post-war context. He also called for the commencement of the Heda Oya irrigation scheme to improve Yala cultivation in Ampara and Monaragala areas, and requested action to reclaim flood-affected Gal Oya paddy lands by utilizing allocated World Bank funds for drainage improvements. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. K. Kader Masthan SLLP AI summary K. Kader Masthan rejected allegations tabled in Parliament that he obtained fuel station licences after entering politics, stating that the relevant licences predated his parliamentary career and requesting verification before such claims are made. He cautioned against communal or religiously sensitive rhetoric, opposed MMDA amendments that he said would contradict Sharia principles, and urged the Government to act fairly toward religious communities. On the Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation Budget Head, he welcomed allocations for the Lower Malwathu Oya/KCM scheme but called for the release of agricultural lands gazetted as forest after wartime displacement, funding for the Pali Aru project, and further support for tanks, canals and farm roads in the war-affected North and East. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary M.A.M. Thahir raised concerns that Muslims had been excluded from senior public service positions and economically harmed, including through attacks on traders’ shops and past government policies. He urged the Minister to prevent further injustice, specifically citing the need to rehabilitate bunds and tanks to protect agriculture, and called for proper development of the area. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam ITAK AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam urged the release of farmlands and small irrigation tanks in Vavuniya and the Vanni that have become inaccessible due to boundary demarcations by the Forest and Wildlife Departments after resettlement. He requested Budget-funded restoration of long-neglected and breached small tanks, raised concerns about settlement practices under the Mahaweli “L” Zone and Lower Malwathu Oya Project causing demographic changes and tensions, and asked that such practices not continue. He also called for government support to manage whitefly infestations through shared spraying equipment, an increase in the fertilizer subsidy to Rs. 20,000 per acre preferably supplied through Agrarian Service Centres, compensation for flood-damaged black gram cultivation, and free or expanded crop insurance for subsidy recipients. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku - Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister said the Government reopened the Palaly–Achchuveli road after decades of closure and is reviewing other roads closed for security reasons, including in the North, East and South, for possible reopening after field assessments. On the airport-related road, he stated that the existing route cannot be opened because it passes through an Air Force base, but a southern alternative is planned using only Air Force land, with approvals obtained. He also said land permit issues in Manmunai North are being handled through due process, with leases currently issued and outright grants to be considered once rightful owners are verified. Adjournment Debate: Batticaloa Airport Land Acquisition and Release Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna supported the motion and called for the release of lands in the North and East that remain under military control, specifically mentioning Palaly, Vasavilan junction and Keppapulavu. He argued that unresolved land, language and equality issues continue to affect Tamil communities after the conflict, and criticized past and current political actors for failing to secure accountability and decisive action. He urged the Government to take measures, including constitutional changes, to promote ethnic harmony and enable Tamils and Sinhalese to live with equal rights. Adjournment Debate: Batticaloa Airport Land Acquisition and Release Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran JJB AI summary Hon. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran addressed land issues arising from the 1985 acquisition of several Vavunativu DS Division villages for the expansion of Batticaloa Airport, noting compensation, lease-land arrears, lost documentation due to war and displacement, and ongoing steps to reissue documents and regularize alternative land allocations. He said the Government expects to resolve these long-pending issues while developing Batticaloa Airport to international standards with related transport, tourism, industry and export benefits for nearby communities. He also stated that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed the staged release of lands held by the armed forces and Police, particularly in the North and East, with details to be collected through District Development Committees and District Secretaries. Adjournment Debate: Batticaloa Airport Land Acquisition and Release Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Arun Hemachandra - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister said the Government has begun releasing lands acquired by the armed forces, particularly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, and is addressing delays inherited from earlier administrative processes. He stated that discussions at District Coordinating Committees in Trincomalee and Batticaloa, consultations with the Defence Secretary, and directions from the President and Defence authorities support the release and regularization of lands to rightful owners. He said documentary and communication issues would be corrected, deeds would be issued on an outright grant basis without leases where applicable, and a public report had been requested to expedite resettlement and restoration of property rights. Adjournment Debate: Batticaloa Airport Land Acquisition and Release Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna criticized allocations in the “Major Public Investment Projects” document, arguing that key sectors in the North and East, including education, youth development, women’s safety, sports, heritage, agriculture, livestock and tourism, show little or no funding despite broader national expenditure claims. He specifically cited a Rs. 500 million allocation for the Mullivaikkal bridge as insufficient within the stated northern allocation. He linked these concerns to the treatment of the Tamil community and urged voters in the North to consider the future of Tamil people in the upcoming local elections. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna condemned child marriage and argued that past and recent ethnic violence, including the 2009 war and attacks attributed to Saharan, should be referred to international courts. He rejected claims that international investigations are unnecessary, criticized past political alignments for failing to secure justice for Tamils, and cited alleged shelling of hospitals, disappearances in his family, and UNHRC references to wartime casualties and individuals such as Gen. Shavendra Silva. He also complained that he had been denied opportunities to speak in Parliament, drew parallels between Gaza and Sri Lanka’s wartime “safe zones,” and called for decorum while stating that Tamils were not opposed to any ethnicity. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna stated that religious issues should not be provoked, referring to a situation in Jaffna where some had called for a temple to be demolished. He said he would not be intimidated and maintained that wrongful practices should be corrected regardless of who is involved. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary Hon. M.A.M. Thahir urged Hon. Archchuna, as an elected representative, to work cooperatively with all communities in the country. The remarks were framed as a closing appeal emphasizing inclusive public service. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Imran Maharoof SJB AI summary Hon. Imran Maharoof raised concerns about ethnic segregation in educational administration in Trincomalee District and requested the establishment of separate education zones for Kuchchaveli and Thambalagamuwa, citing a 2023 recommendation from the Eastern Provincial Education Secretary regarding Kuchchaveli. He highlighted severe shortages of education administrative officers in Kinniya Zone and teacher vacancies across remote Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala schools, urging proper cadre creation and equitable teacher distribution when new College of Education graduates are appointed. He also called for tuition classes to be regulated through education policy, noting their impact on students’ study time. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Mano Ganesan SJB AI summary Mano Ganesan called for Government and Opposition cooperation to address the needs of disadvantaged communities, then urged the Prime Minister and Education Minister to act on long-standing Tamil-medium education issues in Colombo national schools. Citing Royal College, D.S. Senanayake College and Isipathana College, he argued that Tamil-medium classes are being reduced despite demand and resources, and requested increased Tamil-medium admissions, stronger staffing and management structures, and a special administrative focus for Tamil-medium education in cosmopolitan areas. He also proposed integrated schooling under one roof for Sinhala, Tamil and other communities, including by introducing Sinhala-medium sections in major Jaffna schools rather than maintaining separate schools. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Sundaralingam Pradeep JJB AI summary Sundaralingam Pradeep argued that the hill-country community has been held back by inadequate educational provision under past Governments. He acknowledged efforts by leaders such as Mano Ganesan to improve education and called for unity in advancing educational opportunities for the community. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →