Government trying to hoodwink the Tamils

- Tissa Attanayake

By a Special Correspondent

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayaka charged that the UPFA government was currently indulging in shenanigans with a view to deceiving not only the western nations but the country’s own people, pretending to look for a solution to the long-drawn out ethnic issue.

In an interview with LAKBIMAnEWS, the UNP National List MP Attanayaka alleged that the government was determined to hoodwink the Tamil people for the umpteenth time by calling for the setting up of another All-Party Parliamentary Select Committee as a means of drafting a solution ‘for the North-East issue.’

He charged that the government having previously appointed the Prof. Tissa Vitharana Committee was yet to make public its contents, and hence was  now formulating plans to take the Tamil people and parties for a yet another political ride.

“This is nothing but a fraud and a great act of deception committed by the government in the name of the people of this land and more specifically the Tamil people,” Attanayaka averred.

Waste of time

“It is also akin to selling ice cream to the people, this request to set up a Select Committee. 

“The government seems to think they can hoodwink the people to suit their own ends or to tide over the intense international pressure on them.

“This call for the creation of an All Party Select Committee is nothing but an utter waste of time and it serves no purpose in our view.”

The UNP General Secretary said that instead of attempting to set up a Select Committees what the government needs to do is to make public its solution to the problem, so that the party’s could debate its merits and demerits, within the legislature.

MP Attanayaka who did not pull any punches, warned that if the government was to tread this path any longer, things will lead to the creation of another Prabakaran in the long-term and the gradual spread of terrorism through disgruntled Tamil people in the North-East.

He warned that there was a real and genuine threat of another LTTE re-emerging in the future, if the current regime is unable to offer a long-lasting solution to the concerns of the Tamil people in the North.  

“It is now more than two years since the end of hostilities between the security forces and the LTTE,” he continued.

“But, what has the government done to bring about a lasting solution to this vexed problem? The situation is getting worse in the North in particular.

“As you know the North-East is still under military rule and recently the TNA was allegedly attacked by government sponsored goons when they tried to stage a political rally in the North.

“It is of paramount importance that the government establishes civilian rule in the North-East and till it is done we will continue to witness incidents like the alleged attack on the TNA.  

“The government instead of delving deeply into these burning topics of the day, only comes out with agendas like creating Select Committees as a ruse to tide over the concerns for the time being.

“This is the sole reason why we, the UNP, as the main opposition strongly  object to the setting up of yet another Select Committee.”

Asked whether it was not healthy for the government to seek the views of all parties in the legislature before drafting any legistlative solution to the North-East issue, MP Tissa Attanayaka alleged that this was one of  Mahinda Rajapaksa administration’s famous tactics of wasting time, unknown to the outside world.

He said instead of seeking the views of all parties, what was incumbent on the ruling party was to broach its own solution, where the rest of the parties could debate on it. He maintained that people were still wondering as to what became of the final report compiled by the Committee headed by Prof. Tissa Vitharana.

Pot shots at the JVP

“We wonder whether even Mahinda Rajapaksa had seen the contents of that report before it was thrown into the wastepaper basket,” the UNP MP pointed out.

“Therefore the UNP is not ready to fall for this latest gimmick of the Rajapaksa regime, by calling for the setting up of another Select Committee, as it truly serves no purpose in our view.”

Pressed for his take on the UNP,s own ‘solution’ on the issue, the General Secretary insisted that the main opposition has clearly spelt out its proposal in the past by way of activating the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

He stressed that the onus was on the government to spell out its own answer instead of opting for cheap, time-wasting and ludicrous tactics such as setting up Select Committees.

MP Tissa Attanayake also challenged the government to come out with its own solution if possible by opting for a solution exceeding the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

The UNP General Secretary also took a few pot shots at the JVP and advised them to mind their own business and put their house in order instead of trying to criticize the UNP citing its internal struggles as an impediment for taking on the government.

Comments

0 #8 P.L.J.B.Palipana 2011-07-19 11:36

The outdated 13th Ammendment is not a solution for the tamil greivances of our motherland. The economic greivance for the Sinhala,Tamil and Muslims are COMMON FACTORS and should be addressed by our ECONOMISTS using MODELS>.All parties get together to scritinize these models and select one for the benefit of all stake holders. Please remember that the TIME IS RELATIVE and our intelectual community must have her own assessments of the un-economical 13th ammendment to the constitution. It was created almost 25 years ago by the Indian Govenment by force as a Tactic of their Indian Expancionism. Today India has a different agenda and she has a cordial relasionship with the West not like SriLanka. SriLanka is following a stupid foreign policy using her un-necessary slogan of patriotism.

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0 #7 P.L.J.B.Palipana 2011-07-19 11:11

Tissa Attanayaka is one of the most educated,decent and practical politician of SriLanka who knows perfectly the heart beat of the rural poor in our mathrubumi. Thats why I asked Rosee ete to follow up. What kind of crooks the people like earl Gunasekera, Jhonston Fernando, Lakshman Senevirathne ete compared to this personality?

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0 #6 Sooth Sayer 2011-07-19 11:07

@Cyril, As far as we see, He IS the King of Sri Lanka. There aren’t many clever and intelligent people around to show us any different. Most of them have left to their Eeelams.

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0 #5 Rohan 2011-07-19 08:13

Mr.Basil, Take steps to open two foreign universities in Jaffna and set-up a programe to help Northen farmers then you will see the results, take my word.

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0 #4 shm 2011-07-19 05:38

Tissa is a ‘depitakatuwa’ he says something in the South and another thing in the North. If his party is genuine why it keeps losing and in the opposition for ever. They genuinely represent only Western interests in our country.This is in nutshell.

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-2 #3 Sri 2011-07-17 21:14

Neither the SLFP nor the UNP had solutions except hoodwinking the people to gain cheap electoral victories. Shedding blood of others has become a national pastime. Jayawewa!

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-2 #2 cyril 2011-07-17 12:59

Some Sinhala Buddhist Modayas are worshipping Mahinda Rajapaksa as their King so he’s behaving like one! By giving him titles such as ‘Universally-renowned King of Three-Sinhala Lands’.

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+1 #1 jamaldeen 2011-07-17 05:39

The govt. is not trying to hooswink the

Tamil people, but has already set their

claws in Jaffna for the by election using army as a shiled and show victiry to the world. PSC is another of the 60 years old tricks.

Never believe

this govt.

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