Sampanthan insists TNA has not shut the door

August 7, 2011, 7:14 pm


Sampanthan


By Rohan Abeywardena


Tamil National Alliance Leader R. Sampanthan in the afterma=h of last Thursday’s somewhat tough stand taken with the government in g=ving it ten days to respond to the devolution proposals the TNA had put to=the government about five months ago sat with The Island for a long=interview and insisted that they had not issued any ultimatum nor shut the=door on anything and they were yet ready for discussion.


Q: Although things may not have moved much on the=devolution front, the government has done much to improve things like infr=structure in the North and East. Even in the case of IDPs it has settled m=re than 270,000 of about 300,000 who were in camps. Why is the TNA always =arping on the negative aspects? At the recently concluded local government=election, according to Minister Douglas Devananda it whipped up racial hat=eds. Is this the way to get about?

There must be no assumption that what Douglas Devananda sai= in fact happened. There must be no assumption that the TNA carried out ra=ist propaganda, but the TNA is entitled to complain about the fact that un=cceptable things are happening and the way to answer to that is to respond=to the complaints of TNA and tell the people those things are not happenin=. It is extremely easy, particularly when you have no excuse for what you =re doing to brand the TNA as racist, especially when you try to intimidate=people into submission, threaten people, exercise duress, try to bribe peo=le, offer them several types of gifts, use your entire governmental machin=ry, use the military, use the governor in your province and the President =nd teams of ministers take up residence in North for several days running =nd do everything possible to win the election. And when you are defeated i= will be easy for you to say the other side carried on racist propaganda a=d we therefore lost. This is what is happening. It’s a question of their=trying to find an excuse for the fact that the people have rejected them. =part from three Pradeshiya Sabhas that they won in the island areas in the=North, which is under the military or a para-military group, that is repre=entative of the government, about which the government should feel ashamed=when they engage in things of that nature, it is impertinence on their par= to accuse the Tamil National Alliance of carrying out racist propaganda. =ut we did say the truth to the people. Now you talk about people having le=t the camps and having come back to their lands. Do they have shelter? Do =hey have a house? Has the government built a single house for a single dis=laced Tamil? India gifted 50,000 houses. Even there the progress is very s=ow. The government is trying to use that for political purposes. Douglas D=vananda is trying to give those houses to people who will support him poli=ically, not to the deserving people and you have the impertinence to talk =bout racism. Have they got their jobs back? Have the people got their fish=ng gear back? Have the people got their agricultural implements back? Are =eople able to farm or fish or do their animal husbandry or their cottage i=dustries in the way they were able to do before the war commenced. You dar= say merely because a large number of people who were locked up in camps h=ve been released and come out and every thing is hunky dory.


Q: No one is saying that.

A large number of people, tens of thousands are still livin= in camps. Two days ago a decision was made in Mulaitivu and the governmen= said that in some areas of Mulaitivu ten villages could not be resettled =ecause the de-mining was not complete. Now what is the position? They have=taken a decision that those people will not be settled in their original l=nds and their original villages. They will be settled in a place called Ko=bavil. All these people are fishermen and the villages they lived in were =djoining the sea. Now they are going to be settled eight kilometres away f=om the sea in a place where they cannot carry on their livelihood as fishe=men. Why is the government doing this? The government during all these mon=hs said they will be resettled in areas from which they were displaced. No= they want to send them to Kombavil.

It may be that here and there certain things are being done= but the resettlement, the rehabilitation programme from the government po=nt of view is purely a political programme, where they are trying to build=a base in the north with the support of some people, which the people are =ot prepared to accept and it is not being done in a coordinated way to bri=g about a qualitative improvement in the lives of people.

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Q: You can’t possibly do everything overnight.<=B>


You talk of overnight, but two years have gone. What has be=n achieved in the past two years is minimal.


Q: Despite us being a third world country a lot o= work has been done in especially rebuilding infrastructure in the North a=d East.

I have been elected by my people to represent them. Why am = not involved? We have got 14 members of parliament. Our members of parlia=ent have been elected by the people of the North then why are we not being=involved? Because you want to first finish your agendas. You are trying to=change the demographic pattern of the area. You are trying to change the c=ltural identity of those areas. That is what you are doing and the people =here have given their verdict.


Q: The Co-Chairs pledged something like four billion dol=ars during peace talks to bring in peace. Now the peace has dawned. So why=won’t you come forward and ask them to give that aid if you want improve=ents to happen fast and the government is unable to give everything.</=>

If we have authority in our hand we will get the money and =o it, but we have no authority in our hands. Though we are elected by our =eople to look after their affairs our people have got to deal with their m=sters. People, who go there as Ministers lay a foundation stone, deliver a=lecture, don’t interact with our people to whom our people cannot talk b=cause they are masters, superiors. Our people are unable to interact with =hose whom they have elected politically, democratically to look after thei= affairs. If we are in authority and if we have the power we will muster t=e required funds and do these things. They won’t give us the power and t=ey won’t do it themselves. That is the position.

Q: The international community is not coming for =ard to consolidate the peace.

How can the international community come forward to help yo= when there are very serious crimes against you, very serious charges agai=st you?


Q: The so-called international community is makin= a mountain out of a mole hill here, whereas they have much more innocent =lood on their hands. Far worse atrocities were committed in places like Ir=q and Afghanistan. Now vast harm is being caused to Libya, but nothing was=done to oust far worse dictators in Tunisia and Egypt until it was no long=r possible for them to remain in power. Have they done anything to bring j=stice in Bahrain or Yemen?

It is not my duty to defend the international community. I =m not talking about Libya, Egypt, Iraq or Afghanistan. I am concerned abou= Sri Lanka.


Q: There is no doubt there was a terrible war here as an=where else. It was a fight to a finish. But now we have to turn a new leaf=and start afresh. So if we continue to bicker about the past nothing will =hange.

You can stop bickering about the past only if you are prepa=ed to do the right thing at present and do the right thing as far as the f=ture is concerned. What the international community is pressing and what t=e Sri Lankan Government had been promising the international community ove= the long is that there will be an acceptable political solution in Sri La=ka, which will give all Sri Lankans equality in status and make all Sri La=kans feel that they are Sri Lankan citizens and that they have stake in th= future of the entirety of Sri Lanka. This is what the Sri Lankan governme=t is not doing having got the support of the international community to wi= the war, Sri Lankan government thinks it can turn its back on the interna=ional community. In fact it has turned its back on the international commu=ity, not only on the western countries, but even countries like India, whi=h helped Sri Lanka to win the war today finds that Sri Lankan government d=es not care about what they say. The Sri Lankan government is cooking its =wn goose.


Q: Obviously the ruling party has to face its own=constituency so it has decided to go for the most democratic way of findin= a solution in entrusting the task to a Parliamentary Select Committee mad= up of representatives of all those represented in parliament. What is wro=g in going ahead with that?

How many Parliamentary Select Committees have we had so far=on the ethnic question? What happened to the APRC? What happened to the mu=ti-ethnic expert committee report? Have they been made public? Do you know=what reports have been submitted to the President? What happened to them? = am not saying we should not have a Parliamentary Select Committee and I a= not saying we will not participate in it. We have not said that so far. W= have been discussing that question with the government, but at the same t=me you cannot deny the fact that people are perfectly justified in being s=eptical about a PSC because so many parliamentary select committees have s=t. Chandrika had one committee. President Premadasa had one committee. Mah=nda Rajapaksa had the APRC and the multi-ethnic experts committee and its =xpert report. Where are all these things? They are all available.

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Q: In Chandrika’s time a set of final proposals were e=en brought to parliament in about August 2000, but she wanted to extend he= stay along with the implementation of those reforms, but the UNP was not =illing to play ball.

These are the political games that you play. Today your pre=ent government wants to placate its own constituency to be in power at the=expense of the Tamil people by crushing the Tamil people and when we compl=in that we are being crushed and we have been crushed for the past 60 year= you say we are being racist.


Q: These allegations were made by Minister Devananda.</B=< P>


Devananda is a …… Who is Devananda? He faces charges in=India. He is a Minister in your government.

Q: For that matter many others have blood on their hands=for egging on this war.

I have no blood. Don’t try to put me and others in the sa=e boat. I am not that type of person.

Q: We are not saying that you physically killed people.<=B>


Physically or not I have not killed anybody.

Q: What he had said was that you all incited people…</=>


Were you there? Did you hear people being incited?

Q: Even Basil Rajapaksa had levelled similar charges in =ublic.

Basil Rajapaksa also tried his very best to win over the pe=ple of the north by bribing them. He didn’t succeed.

Q: We can go on arguing for ever, but the sticking point= to a final settlement are primarily your demands for police and land powe=s. So let the whole parliament sit and decide on it.

There is no sticking point. These are all imaginary fears. =ll fears being created by the government.

Q: Just as much as you have fears the majority community=too has its own fears.

All these fears are being created by the government. To jus=ify not giving the Tamil speaking people the powers that are normally avai=able in any scheme of power sharing in any part of the world, whether it b= in African countries or Asian countries or European countries. In every p=rt of the world these powers are given to units of devolution.

Q: C.A. Chandraprema had pointed out that this was the w=rst possible time for the government to be engaged in an election in the N=rth because of the many adverse things that have happened starting from th= Ban Ki-moon panel report, the Channel Four videos to the election of host=le Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu and even where the army was accused of breaki=g up an election meeting of the TNA….

It was the first meeting that the TNA had, an indoor meetin=, which was disturbed by the army and you talk about our conduct being bad=

Q: The fact remains that they went into it at the worst =ossible time.

We didn’t ask them. They went.

Q: Still they managed to secure about 37 per cent of the=votes.

Bribery, corruption duress, intimidation. This is how they =ot the votes. Whatever votes they got, a large percentage of that was obta=ned through corrupt and illegal practices. There is no question about it. =eople were hammered. People were week. People were destitute. People were =iving in a state of penury and they used every possible influence: threat,=intimidation, bribery, government machinery, the military and they got som= votes.

Q: Leaving aside all that as in the previous local elect=on a large percentage of people did not bother to vote, possibly because t=ey are sick of politicians. Politicians shout in the north or the south, b=t it is the ordinary citizen on the road who suffers and people are simply=sick of violence.

People didn’t vote in Jaffna and there was a low percenta=e turnout in the past, but now people are beginning to realise that the de=ocracy is there. It is their most important tool and they must exercise th=ir democratic right and they are coming out and voting and telling the gov=rnment what they think of the government.

Q: Even on the reduction of the number of MPs elected fr=m Jaffna by the Elections Department based on the reduced number of voter =egistrations you all make a big issue out of it even though it is a fact t=at many people from the peninsula have migrated to the West.

There is no question about it that lots of Tamils have left=

Q: You all make it look as if it is a racist act.</P=

It has got racist overtones. There is no doubt about that. = would expect you to exercise some fairness even in the questions you pose=though I appreciate your question must come out of your heart. They can’= come out of my heart or my mind. Large numbers of people have left Jaffna=on account of violence or on account of the war: the militarization of Jaf=na, the military activities of the LTTE in Jaffna, the High Security Zones=driving people out of their homes etc. They have come to other parts of th= country. They have not merely gone abroad. They are living in the Western=Province as well as in various other provinces of the country. Some of the= are living in India. Although it is two years since the end of the war th= necessary conditions have not been created for these people to come back.=They still want to have High Security Zones. They are still militarising t=e place. You are preventing some people from resettling in the land from w=ich they were displaced. And in this turbulent situation, where people can=ot even return to Jaffna you are trying to minimise the number of seats. T=at is a denial of franchise. Why are you doing this in such a hurry? Why c=n’t you put this over ten years? Why can’t the government pass legisla=ion in parliament that on account of the fact that there was a war for 30 =ears, where people were compelled to leave Jaffna to live in other parts o= the country or to India or to other parts of the world? We do not think t=e status quo ante should be changed in a hurry. We think that the 30 year =ar necessitated that a decision on this matter be postponed for the next 1= years to enable the people to come back. Why can’t you think like that?=You don’t think like that because you want the Tamils to be deprived of =epresentation in parliament.

Q: Why haven’t you suggested that to the government?</=>


We have talked about it and we would like the government to=take some such step on its part.

Q: The picture that is continuously painted abroad is th=t of Sinhalese as being cannibal like preying on innocent Tamils. The resu=t is that even now violent attacks are being carried out against even Sinh=lese pilgrims in places like Tamil Nadu.

I don’t say that. I have much respect for the Sinhala pea=ant. Don’t think that all Tamils think like that. I have lived with the =inhala people. I look upon Sinhalese people as my own brothers and sisters= I have lot of affection for them. I have lot of affection and respect for=the Sinhala peasant whom I think is a decent human being, but not all your=politicians are like that.

Q: There is so much whipping up of emotions that in rece=t days a number of Lankan pilgrims had been roughed up in Chennai for no r=ason.

That is wrong. That should not be tolerated.

Q: Such things happen because of false propaganda that T=mils are being abused here.

That is happening. You can’t deny it.

Q: Tamils are moving freely all over the country. Many m=re are living in the South than in the North and East.

I am not saying the Sinhalese people are a bad people, but =ou can’t deny that some of these awful things are happening in this coun=ry and have happened for a long time.

Q: What is the information you have regarding the recent=attack on the News Editor of Uthayan newspaper?

I was told that he was attacked by a para-military group in=Jaffna. This group has taken the law into its own hands and has been guilt= of several killings in the past in the course of attacks on civilians. I =as told the para-military group is even now threatening persons who partic=pated in elections in the North. Eventually both you and I know that nothi=g will come out of this, even though the President himself issued a direct=on that proper investigation be conducted eventually nothing will come out=of this. It is again a clear indication that even after the election peopl= whom you quote as expressing views as to how elections were won are conti=uing with their misdeeds. Your fellow journalist was attacked by these sam= fellows.

Q: Why are you angry with The Island newspaper?

<=R>

I have no anger. In fact I read The Island everyday.

Q: What is the next step for the TNA?

We’ll watch what the government does. We’ll act with a =ense of responsibility.

Q: A spokesman for the government said this morning that=what you all are asking is no different to what was asked by the LTTE.=/P>

I think I know who this spokesman is. We have made our posi=ion very clear to the government that what we want is a just and fair solu=ion, which is durable, which is workable and which will be acceptable to a=l the people in this country. Merely because some spokesman on behalf of t=e government, a small fellow says we want what the LTTE wants, I will not =et excited. He knows as the person who sat at the table with the ministers=that the TNA adopted a very moderate and a very sober position. This man w=o made this statement, according to you, knows that.

Q: I did not mention any names.

I know who he is. He was at the table. He knows it He canno= deny it that the TNA adopted a very sober and moderate position right thr=ughout the talks. I ask you to seek confirmation of what I am telling you =ow from Nimal Siripala de Silva and Prof. G.L. Peiris, the two senior mini=ters who were there. Ask Nimal Siripala de Silva and he will tell you that=the TNA always adopted very reasonable, very sober and very moderate posit=on at the negotiating table. Ask G.L. Peiris he will give you the same ans=er. I don’t care two hoots for the opinion expressed by this puppy.

<=R>

Q: You all have now drawn a line on the ground stating s= far and no further.

We have not drawn any line on the ground. We submitted disc=ssion papers more than four months ago, the government agreed to respond. =e have been waiting for the government response. We have been persuading t=e government to respond. No meaningful dialogue can take place without the=government’s response. And we have told the government you must respond =or us to engage in talks meaningfully and purposely. If we don’t have yo=r response we can’t discuss it further and you are using this dialogue t= show the whole world that you are engaged in a dialogue with the Tamil Na=ional Alliance, an integral part of the reconciliation process when in fac= nothing worthwhile is happening at these dialogues. By coming for the mee=ings and sitting at the table we are encouraging you and condoning your pr=senting to the world a façade. We can’t be a party to that. So please =ome up with your response and once you come up with the response we can en=age.

Q: They have come with an immediate response and have sa=d that it is the Parliamentary Select Committee that will have to decide.<=B>


There is much more to it than a pure and simple statement l=ke this. Let them think about it further and we will see what happens. The=e is much more to it than what you are talking about.

Q: The proposed Parliamentary Select Committee will have=as its base the findings of the previous PSCs to work from.

I am not against the Parliamentary Select Committee. I have=thus far not made any statement against the PSC. At the same time we want =o be sure that the Parliamentary Select Committee if it sits will be a cre=ible option to achieve the objective which the government claims it wants =o achieve. We have strong reservations about that. But we have not shut th= door. We merely told the government you talked to us for seven months. We=had ten meetings. We have come up with discussion papers. You agreed to re=pond to our discussion papers. Four months have gone since you made that c=mmitment. You have not responded. Please respond to the issues, which will=facilitate a dialogue. It is up to the government to consider the commitme=ts they made at these bilateral meetings between the government and the TN= and decide what they want to do. Let them come up with their position and=then we will see what needs to be done.

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