“TNA has no secret pact with Fonseka’’

By Thava Sajitharan

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian K. Thurairetnasingam yesterday refuted the allegation that his party had entered into a “secret pact” with opposition’s common presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka.

The TNA last week extended its support to Gen. Fonseka. Nevertheless, the alliance’s silence over what the retired army chief has offered them as a political solution to the ethnic problem has prompted the government to allege that there is a secret deal. National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa MP who backs incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa in the upcoming presidential poll was quoted in a newspaper report yesterday, as saying that Fonseka had agreed to re-merge the north and east and establish autonomy in the region.

In the said news report, Mr. Weerawansa had cited a TV interview in which Mr. Thurairetnasingam had allegedly disclosed that ‘the opposition has agreed to re-merge the Northern and the Eastern Provinces, dismantle the High Security Zone, release the LTTE suspects in detention and grant an autonomous region for the Tamils’.

Asked for a response, Mr. Thurairetnasingam said “some of the politicians in the government are attempting to mislead people and stir up communal hatred in the south” to achieve what he called “petty electoral gains”.

“We have not signed any agreement. We have come to an agreement” he said, referring to their talks with Fonseka.

However, he did not specify whether Gen. Fonseka had proposed anything to solve the Tamil problem politically if and when he is elected president. Observers have noted that Fonseka’s manifesto which was released last week did not mention any political solution to the Tamil problem either.

“The TNA had several rounds of talks with the president and his associates before taking a decision. Under the rule of the present government in the last four years, people have undergone immense hardship and I think there is a need for change”.

Asked if the TNA MPs would actively campaign for Fonseka by taking part in election meetings, Thureiratnasingam said they had not taken a decision in this regard.

We also contacted R. Sambanthan and Mavai Senathiraja - two senior leaders in the TNA - earlier this week to ask about the conditions on which their support to Gen Fonseka was pledged.

Both of them, while remarking that Fonseka’s response was “satisfactory”, declined to comment further.

JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe, when contacted, said Wimal Weerawansa’s remarks were “irrelevant”. He was not willing to elaborate either.

(Published in LAKBIMAnEWS January 10, 2009)

Minorities are Kings for a month

By Thava Sajitharan

As presidential election campaigns gathered momentum last week, voters from minority groups seemed to have entered the equation.

Both candidates -- incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa and his rival Gen. (Rtd) Sarath Fonseka --- who in the past were identified as “hardliners” for their unrelenting stance towards the political aspirations of minority communities --- displayed more love for the latter during the course of their campaigns.

The problems of ethnic minorities dominated both sides’ electoral rhetoric as well.

Whereas President Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that he had served the Muslims in the country by way of accommodating 20 ministers from the community in his administration and urged the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians to be ministers in his future government, Gen Fonseka stated ‘merely declaring that there are no minorities in the country would not suffice’ adding that the latters specific concerns needed to be addressed. Gen Fonseka’s words were quite different from the ones he uttered at a press interview nearly a year ago when he reportedly proclaimed that the country “belonged to the Sinhalese” and that other communities should not demand “undue things under the pretext of being minorities”, observers noted.

The government last week indicated that it would soon release over 700 Tamil detainees held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations while also announcing that it intended to resettle by the end of January, over one hundred thousand conflict-affected Tamil refugees who are at present housed in interim camps in Menik farm, Vavuniya. The government is also planning to enhance power supply facilities in the north as well as set up 58 new post offices in the province, according to government sources.


IDPs - who will they vote for?

'Electoral ploy'

While these latest developments were welcomed and appreciated by members of affected families, critics claimed the ruling regime’s “newfound appetite” to better protect the minority interests was “politically motivated” and part of “an electoral ploy aimed at wooing Tamil voters.”

With regard to Tamil detainees, Deputy Minister of Justice V. Puthirasigamani said “except for those against whom indictments have been filed, we are planning to release all others detained under Emergency Regulations and the PTA”
Puthirasigamani is also a member of the Committee on Prevention of Crime which was established under a presidential directive to handle, among other things, the matters concerning those detained under Emergency Regulations and the PTA --- a “draconian law”, for whose abolishment certain human rights groups have been campaigning over the last several years.

The Committee on Prevention of Crime is headed by Justice Minister Milinda Moragoda and has as its members the Defence Secretary, the IGP, Prisons Commissioner and others.

Many of those detained under Emergency Regulations and the PTA were arrested on suspicion and have been held under detention without trail for a long time, sources pointed out.

According to Minister Puthirasigamani, of all the detainees to be released, 631 persons are in remand while the others are in the custody of the CID, TID or the police.

Asked to comment, leader of the Democratic Peoples Front and Convenor of Civil Monitoring Commission Mano Ganesan MP who backs Gen. Fonseka’s candidacy said he welcomed “without criticism the decision to release those detained under Emergency Regulations and PTA” even though the move appeared to be a “political one”.
The suffering families of the detainees would now be relieved, he noted.

Why were they taken in?

Human Rights lawyer M. A Sumanthiran said “if they didn’t have evidence, these people should not have been taken into custody in the first place. It is a welcome move nevertheless”.

Suresh from Thalawakelle (the source’s actual name has been withheld to protect his identity) whose brother was arrested on suspicion in 2008 and remains detained under emergency regulations said he was pleased to hear the news and was awaiting his sibling’s release.

“My brother was arrested when he returned to the country after working abroad for a few years” he said.

With regard to the resettlement of IDPs in the north, Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishad Badhiyudeen said large numbers of displaced people were being resettled in their areas with a view to completing the resettlement process by the end of January.

(Published in LAKBIMAnEWS, January 3, 2009)

That ‘Historic Meeting’ in Zurich...

By Thava Sajitharan

The joint statement issued by the Tamil and Muslim parties at the conclusion of the three-day conference held in Zurich, Switzerland from November 20 to 22, described the event as a ‘historic meeting’.

That particular phrase was no exaggeration for the conclave was indeed a first of its kind.

In the past, it had never been possible for anyone to muster such a vast number of minority parties including the erstwhile ‘Tiger-proxy’ Tamil National Alliance at a single venue to discuss issues of notable political significance.

The conference titled “the role of the Elected Representatives of Sri Lanka’s Tamil and Muslim Population in a Process of National Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Reform” was attended by, among others, Minister Douglas Devananda of the EPDP, V. Anandasangaree of the TULF and R. Sambanthan of the TNA - leaders of Tamil political parties whose stances and viewpoints starkly differ from that of each other in terms of finding a political solution to the Tamil problem. Eastern Province Chief Minister S. Chandrakanthan also took part.

Unsurprisingly, the unprecedented nature of the conference has given rise to numerous speculations and rumors. While many of those who participated in the conference saw it as a necessary step toward strengthening the political interests of the minorities, there were the skeptics who opined that covert external elements bent on destabilization were behind this move.

Speculations

Some media reports speculated that it was an attempt to rally the minority parties to back the president in his aspiration to retain office for a second term while the controversial Tamilnet website termed the meeting ‘”a drama backed by ‘high-powers”.

According to media reports, the conference was jointly organized by the Tamil Information Centre (TIC), the International Working Group on Sri Lanka (IWG) and the Initiative on Conflict Prevention through Quiet Diplomacy (ICPQD) at the University of Essex. It was hosted by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Asked to comment about any big power being behind the meeting in Zurich, TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran who was also a participant dismissed the allusions, saying “it’s rubbish.”

It is learnt that the organizers had initially included the forthcoming presidential election in the discussion agenda. The idea was abandoned due to opposition from parties such as the TNA.

“We told them that we had not come to discuss the upcoming polls” said Premachandran.

“It’s true that majority of the attendants were either government ministers or government sympathizers. Some of them tried to push their own agendas” said Premachandran.

Suresh Premachandran nevertheless noted that “it is a positive development” as far as minority politics is concerned.

“All the parties agreed to have further talks and it is a good sign”

Among the attendant parties were: All Ceylon Muslim Congress, All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Ceylon Workers Congress, Democratic Peoples Front, Eelam People’s Democratic Party, Eelam People’s Revolutionary Front, Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi, Pathmanabha Eelam Peoples’, Revolutionary Liberation Front, People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation, Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal , Tamil National Alliance, Tamil United Liberation Front and Up-Country Peoples Front.

Despite the fact that representatives of the above parties consented to sign a joint statement in which they “unanimously expressed a full commitment to a common forum among representatives of all Tamil-speaking peoples,” difference of opinion remained one of the prominent characteristics of the conclave.

Leader of Democratic Peoples Front Mano Ganesan MP said while the likes of Minister Douglas Devananda of the EPDP and Arumugam Thondaman of the CWC insisted on the implementation of 13th amendment as the first step toward finding a political solution, others held that the political package need not be given any specific ‘tags’.

“It was also pointed out that the government had not implemented the 13th amendment even though it was very much part and parcel of the Sri Lankan constitution”
Mano Ganesan whose party has decided to oppose the ruling government at the presidential elections noted that the government was in no mood to talk about a political solution to the minorities.

Minister Devananda and TULF leader V. Anandasangaree were not available for comment.

THE JOINT STATEMENT

The Joint Statement issued at the Zurich conference:

We, the representatives of the political parties of the Tamil-speaking peoples unanimously:
Affirm the historic meeting enabling an exchange of views, and express a full commitment to a common forum among representatives of all Tamil-speaking peoples;
Recognize ‘Tamil-speaking peoples’ comprise three distinct peoples: Tamils, Muslims, and Tamils of Indian origin;
Respect the distinct and separate identities, interests and positions of the parties;
Recognize and affirm the need for unity and consensus among the Tamil-speaking peoples while acknowledging differences with regard to some issues and the paths to pursue them;
Commit to the engagement by all segments of society towards a just and durable political solution through a dignified, respectful and peaceful process;
Agree and commit to continuing our dialogue.
Signatories:
Veerasingham Anandasangaree, Tamil United Liberation Front
Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, Up-Country Peoples Front
Douglas Devananda, Eelam People’s Democratic Party
Abdul Rauff Hakeem, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
Mohamed Hizbullah, All Ceylon Muslim Congress
Mano Ganeshan, Democratic Peoples Front
Kulasekaram Mahenthiran, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation
Sivasubramaniam Nanthakumar, Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students
Gagendrakumar Ponnambalam, All Ceylon Tamil Congress
Suresh Premachandran, Eelam People’s Revolutionary Front
R. Sampathan, Tamil National Alliance
Sivanesathurai Santhirakanthan, Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal
Mavai S. Senathirajah, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi
Dharmalingam Sithadthan, People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam
Thirunavukarasu Sritharan, Pathmanabha Eelam Peoples’ Revolutionary Liberation Front
Arumugan Thondaman, Ceylon Workers Congress


(LAKBIMAnEWS November 29, 2009)

Allowed to see IDPs in exchange for political support?

(LAKBIMAnEWS November 22, 2009)

By Thava Sajitharan

Members of the Tamil National Alliance were last week permitted to visit IDP camps in Vavuniya for the first time. TNA MP P. Ariyanenthiran says Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, at a subsequent meeting, told the TNA that all the IDPs would be resettled by January next year. Ariyanenthiran also spoke to us about the meeting being held in Zurich, Switzerland where R. Sambanthan, Douglas Devananda, V. Anandasangaree and other leaders of minority parties are reportedly deliberating the possibility of reaching a common consensus.

Excerpts:

The government has finally allowed the TNA MPs to go to the IDP camps in Menik farm as well as areas in the north where resettlement is taking place... What are your observations about this visit?

Over the last few months, we have persistently requested the government to give us permission to visit the camps in Menik farm. From what I saw, I can say that the expedited resettlement process has considerably reduced problems of congestion in Menik farm. Earlier it was said that people had to wait in long queues to use toilets and were suffering tremendously from communicable diseases. The number of toilets in the camps were said to be inadequate and there were alarming hygeine issues. The situation has now changed.

However, there are other important problems that need to be addressed with immediate effect. People in the camps are provided with rice, sugar, and dhal and wheat flour as relief items. Other supplementary food items need to be bought from shops set up in these camps. With no means of earning an income, many families are struggling to purchase these items. Those who have relations abroad do not face these problems as they receive financial assistance from them.

People being resettled are required to open bank accounts by depositing Rs 600/=. Some people told me that they didn’t have the cash to do this. They are also asked to take photographs for identification and that too costs Rs 60/= per person. Some people were even unable to meet this cost. In certain cases, one member of a family lived in a particular camp while the others were in a different camp. Yet, they are not permitted to visit each other.

I was also told by families housed in these camps that the incidents of family members being taken away for interrogation was still continuing.

Have you taken up the matters that you just described with the government?

Yes, we visited the camps on Monday and we met presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa in parliament on the very next day. He assured us that these problems will be addressed. He also expressed hope that the government would be able to resettle all the displaced people by January next year.

You also met UN Humanitarian Chief John Holmes who was on a visit to Sri Lanka last week. What did you discuss with him?

John Holmes also said that he was confident that the majority of the displaced people would be resettled by December this year.

Having been so stubborn all this time in their decision to not allow opposition MPs to visit the camps, the government has all of a sudden changed its mind and facilitated your visit... What do you think is the reason?

Well, I think there could be several reasons. One is our persistent request. Pressure from the international community could also have been a factor. Besides, as I said, there were a number of critical issues that the government had to grapple with,with regard to the conditions in which the IDPs were living.

In such a situation, the government would have decided that conditions were not conducive for us to visit the camps.

A major election is said to be round the corner. Was the government attempting to woo TNA MPs to their side by permitting them to visit IDP camps?

One cannot rule out that possibility.

In the event of a presidential election in the near future who will the TNA support?

We as a party have taken the decision that we will wait till nominations are filed. We will then decide whom to support.

Will the TNA support the ruling party?

We have not discussed that matter as yet.

There is said to be a difference of opinion between members of the Tamil National Alliance on this matter... is this true? Is there a split in the party over this issue?

I believe each and every individual is entitled to their own opinion. When we need to take a decision, we will discuss and debate all such opinions.
The ultimate decision will be a unanimous one.

In what appears to be an event of great significance, all the leaders of minority parties including the TNA, TULF, EPDP, CWC, UPF, DPF, PLOTE, TELO, ACRC, SLMC, TMVP, and EPRLF (both Naba and Varatha wings) are attending a conference in Zurich, Switzerland. It is said that R. Sambanthan, Douglas Devananda and V. Anandasangaree went on the same flight. What is going to be discussed at this conference?

The Tamil Information Centre (TRC), an organization based in London has organized this event. The possibility of reaching a common consensus will be discussed at this meeting. The TNA is represented by R. Sambanthan, Mavai Senathiraja and Suresh Premachandran. We have to wait and see what the outcome atthis conference will be. They are returning next Tuesday.

One of the biggest regional powers is speculated to be behind this move... Is it true?

Well, those speculations are there. The very fact that this is a rare occasion gives rise to such speculation. This is all I can say at this moment.

More surprises for government, Mano promises

By Thava Sajitharan

Democratic Peoples Front leader Mano Ganeshan first wanted to leave the recently formed United National Front (UNF) if they were going to nominate General Sarath Fonseka as the presidential candidate of the UNF. But, later Ganeshan decided to support him.

Excerpts of the interview as follows:

You have reportedly expressed a willingness to support Gen. Sarath Fonseka in the event the latter is placed as the presidential candidate by the United National Alliance (UNA) of which your party is an ally. It would mean that you are supporting the very same person who led the war which you spoke highly critical of a few months ago. What is the rationale behind your stance...?

My party, DPF is a component of UNF. Neither DPF nor the UNF have made any official announcements. Fonseka has just submitted papers for retirement. Has he officially said that he is contesting? We are only looking at all available options. Fonseka would be also an option. Anyway, I as the leader of my party commenced some discussion with Sarath Fonseka. We have discussions with Tamil and Muslim parties. We are discussing with the parties within UNF. I think this is the sign of a functioning party within the democratic radius.

Some of the minority parties are said to be of the view that support could be offered to Gen Fonseka on the condition that he should abolish the executive presidency. Nonetheless, all the Presidents in the past two decades promised to do away with the existing system but none of them did it in reality. Besides, Gen Fonseka in September 2008 reportedly said `I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese’. He also reportedly said that ‘minorities must not demand undue things’. What makes you think that he would act differently or that he would heed to the minority parties?

Minority parties, you mean the Tamil and Muslim parties? More than the Tamil and Muslim parties, today UNP, SLFP (M) and JVP are asking for the abolishment of the Executive Presidency. Until recently minorities thought that the Executive Presidency is advantageous to the minority interests. Today Parliament has been weakened very much and the real government is run from the Presidential palace. There is a new class of ‘President’s men’ who has arrived in this country today. Pathetic are the cabinet Ministers within the Parliament. It is because they are not in the know of the running of the government. Now within the UNF our party and SLMC have also come to the position for abolishment. I think we as minorities can never go to Presidential palace but only to the Parliament. Therefore, we cannot just be idle when our Parliament is slowly becoming a mere talk show assembly. Yes, CBK and the incumbent President agreed for the abolishment but did not adhere to the agreements. We need two third numbers in the Parliament and a friendly President who agrees for abolishment. So we are trying all the available avenues. What is the democratic alternative for us? If all the democratic avenues are unsuccessful then it will be an invitation to revolt. People may take to streets.

Last part of your question refers to Sarath Fonseka’s comments made in 2008. We can never accept that stand. This country belongs to all of us. Let Sarath Fonseka be told. But, these types of comments have been made by many in the major parties. If you ask me, I will tell you that a sizable number of politicians harbor such ideas within themselves. Not only in JHU and NFF but there are such persons in SLFP, UNP and JVP. There are Sinhala politicians while in government had said worst things. Some had gone to the level of eating the Tamil flesh. On other hand there had been Tamil counterparts too. Certain Tamil politicians wanted to swim in the Sinhala blood. It is the pathetic reality of our common motherland. We need to rebuild our common motherland for the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims and Buddhists, Hindus, Islamists and Christians. Please let me tell you loudly that the Common motherland is more important than a common candidate. We have to work through to achieve. If you have an alternative tell me. The pundits who criticize never come out with any successful alternatives.

A few weeks ago, you stated that you had communicated with a representative of Gen. Fonseka. Is it confirmed that he will be nominated by the UNA as their Presidential candidate?

A representative of Fonseka met me in Colombo. I said that some time before.
It has not been countered. So you know it is correct information. It is not only UNF in the scene but also JVP. This is on one hand. And Tamil and Muslim parties on the other hand. Let the announcement for the Presidential elections come. There will be more surprises for the government. I cannot comment further.

How do you interpret the letter sent to the President by Gen. Fonseka. Does it indicate that he would contest the Presidential elections?

Sarath Fonseka has already removed his uniform unofficially. I think it has a political meaning. He means business. Isn’t he? This is my guess.

The TNA has not ruled out the possibility of fielding a Tamil Presidential candidate. In that event who would you support?

A Yes, it is one of the options. Not only the TNA but we as DPF have too pronounced this. President Mahinda, Common Opposition candidate, Common Tamil candidate and boycott are the four options we have. Last time Tamils in the North and East were told to boycott by LTTE. Today it is history. Boycott is the worst. It is against democratic engagement. And also we cannot simply leave it to the people’s private decisions. All Tamil and Muslim parties are to give leadership directions to our peoples.

The government has said that it would allow the opposition Parliamentarians to visit the IDP camps in the future? What is your comment about this new development? Are you planning to visit the IDPs?

Why the sudden announcements after six months? Is it GSP phobia? It is coming after allowing Indian MPs. Yes, we will visit independently. Visiting the camps is just one element of our struggle. We want our people to go home. Their rights to their ancestral land are supreme.

As a human rights campaigner, what are your observations about the resettlement process which is said to have been expedited..?

More than the conditions of the camps, the violation of the rights is my concern. They are being kept there against their will. The barbed wire and military security surrounding the camps are not for the protection against any external invasion. They are to prevent people from going out.

The people should have been given the right to stay with their relatives and friends of their choice long before. In the name of demining and screening, you can’t keep the women, children, sick and aged for months behind barbed wire. Government is expediting the process due to our pressures. Anyway this is what is expected out of a government. They can’t demand credit for this. We legislators have to visit and make our own independent assessment.

We need to know the total numbers of people arrived since May and settled and the numbers that remain. They can’t put them into another transit camp and call it resettlement. The people need to go to their very own villages. Until then this is going be the top priority for us.

(LAKBIMAnEWS, 15.11.2009)

IDPs not shown their homes and brought back!

By Thava Sajitharan

Governor of the Northern Province Major General G.A. Chandrasiri last week refuted reports that some of the internally displaced people who were moved out of IDP camps in Vavuniya for resettlement had been returned after being shown their homes. Excerpts from the interview:

Resettlement of the IDPs is said to have been expedited. Could you tell us about that?

As per the direction given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the resettlement of the IDPs is taking place at an accelerated pace. Guidance given to us by the chairman of the special task force for the development and security of the northern province Basil Rajapaksa is, that resettlement of the persons in Menik Farm should take place at a rapid pace and they must return to their respective places.

So far, 35, 000 people from the Jaffna peninsula have gone back to their places and they have already been resettled. Out of the 35 000 persons, around 8,000 have been resettled in Jaffna islands. The rest of them have gone to certain other areas in the peninsula. Divisional secretaries of these areas work out their plans for the resettlement of the IDPs; they send their team to Menik farm to find out which people are from which Grama Sevaka areas. Accordingly, they formulate the resettlement plans and that is how these people are being resettled.

For a day, over 3000 people are moving out from Menik farm to be resettled. Similar procedure is followed in respect of resettlement in other areas such as Mannar. Resettlement is taking place in Manthai West. In Killinochchi, there are about 9 villages where resettlement is taking place. There is resettlement taking place in Thunukkai of Mullaitivu as well. The total number of people to be resettled in these places is more than 42, 000. This will be completed by the end of October. Around 10, 000 people have recently gone from Menik Farm to be resettled in the eastern province. So altogether there are 110, 000 persons who will be resettled by the end of October.

The government assured the international community that 80% of the IDPs would be resettled by December. Do you think it’s achievable?

As the governor of the Northern Province I can only talk about what is being done and how it’s being done. But when you carry out resettlement, there are certain restrictions that one has to cope with. As the president says, you have to bear in mind the security aspect of it. First security and then resettlement and development. You can’t neglect the security aspect. There are so many landmines buried in these areas and they have to be cleared. Then only can people be resettled. In areas where de-mining has been completed, people have been resettled. That is why I said around 110, 000 would have been resettled by the end of October. What it means is, that these areas have been cleared of land mines. For instance, in the giant tank area in Manthai West, the demining is carried out at an accelerated pace. More than ten machines have been brought from other countries for this purpose. There are five organizations engaged in demining. Once these areas are demined, people will be resettled.

It was reported last week that some of the IDPs who were taken purportedly to be resettled in their home places were brought back to the camps after being shown their homes. Is that true? Did such incident occur?

It is a totally fabricated story. No such people were brought back. People are resettled with the support of the government and the government agents have been entrusted with the task of handling this. Each and every person being resettled is registered by them and it is being done with responsibility. I have gone and visited these places.

Aren’t there transit camps where IDPs are kept temporarily?

There aren’t any transit camps. They have to wait for 48 hours at maximum. There are certain procedures to be adopted. And the money has to be given to them. So it takes a little time. People are taken to a school or a similar place located in the vicinity of the place where they are supposed to be resettled. They are sent to their homes after being provided with the required facilities.

What facilities does the government provide to the families being resettled?

First of all, we make sure that areas where they are resettled are mine-free. We have to get the certificate from the UN that the area is habitable. The second concern is their livelihood. Each family is given 25, 000 rupees. Rs. 5,000 is issued directly to the families. The remaining 20, 000 is collected by the Grama Sevaka officer and is banked and kept. UN provides them with Non-Food Relief Items (NFRI). If their houses are damaged, tin sheets are given for them to put up their houses.

Arrangements have been made to look after them for 6 months. Security Forces are working on another programme where they clear the jungle areas and abandoned paddy lands to be given to the people. These things are carried out under the 180-day Vadakkin Vasantham programme. So, people are getting the support and assistance they need.

When is the government planning to reopen the A9 for the public?

This matter does not come under my purview. Of course, I must say that there is so much of work to be done. Each side of the road has to be de-mined. Without doing it, you can’t just allow the people to travel on this road. If they step into either side of the road and get caught in the landmines, it will be a major problem. What the security forces have done now is that, they have put restrictions on either side of the road. Once, the landmines are cleared, I am sure the government will make arrangements to reopen the A9.

Has the government consulted you with regard to conducting the provincial council election in the north..? Is there a possibility of such an election being held in the near future?

No. There is so much of work to be done before the election could be held. Once the people are resettled and relaxed, I am sure the government will hold the election.

The absence of the administrative body - the provincial council: has it affected the development activities taking place in the north?

Not at all. The president has given clear directions as to how development activities should be carried out under the ‘Vadakkin Vasantham’ 180-day project. The chairman of the special task force Basil Rajapaksa who is spearheading this task and the entire government machinery are supporting this effort. So many other commercial institutions are getting involved in the process. I think this is the time when all of us should get together and see that the Northern Province is developed.

The freedom of movement of the IDPs has been a major issue. Six months have lapsed since the end of war. And, don’t you think the government should remove or at least relax the restrictions placed on the freedom of movement of the IDPs?

When you have 110, 000 IDPs resettled, that itself shows the extent to which facilities have been extended to these people. But there are places that need to be de-mined and people would have to remain in the relief villages until that is done. People have been provided with so much of facilities in the relief villages as well.

People inside the IDP camps are searching for their relatives who have gone missing. Some of them are believed to have been detained as LTTE suspects. When would the government release the list of names of such persons?

It is a matter for the security forces to look into. I am sure the security forces will take necessary action in due course

(LAKBIMAnEWS, 01.10.2009)