Cost
of living reversible, not so betraying one’s country: Wimal
Following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling staying the operation
of four clauses of the Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment
of the P-TOMS, JVP propaganda secretary Wimal Weerawansa in an interview
with The Sunday Times said that though the President could enter
into any agreement with the Tigers, this interim order showed she
would have to confine herself to work within the law of the land.
Here
are some excerpts of the interview:
The JVP filed three petitions in the Supreme Court against
the P-TOMS agreement. The SC has handed down an interim order regarding
some of its provisions. What is your interpretation of this ruling?
The ruling of the Supreme Court on the 15th was an extremely important
one. The interim order shows that the P-TOMS had contents that overrode
the fundamental law of the land. The President can enter into any
agreement with the Tigers but this order shows that she will have
to confine herself to the law of the land. This interim order also
shows that the Regional Committee and the Regional Fund were illegal.
The case is still not over. This is only an interim order but this
illustrates that the Regional Committee and the Fund conferred the
powers of the Government to another body. We have always stood for
the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of this country and
we will not falter from this position. That is why we gave up ministerial
positions and decided to sit in opposition. This is a victory for
the people.
In
some way this ruling could push the LTTE back to war. If this happens,
are you willing to take responsibility for this?
Your question is totally wrong. The LTTE cannot go back to war because
they have never stopped the war. It is only the Government of Sri
Lanka that has been observing a truce since February 23rd, 2002.
They have maintained the war at the intensity that they desire.
They have attempted to murder Minister Douglas Devananda; they killed
Major Mutaliff and other intelligence officers. Even after the signing
of the P-TOMS, the LTTE has continued with their killing spree.
Within 48 hours of signing this agreement, they killed three intelligence
officers and are continuing to do so in the east. They are playing
a double game of carrying on a war under the pretext of talking
peace. The fools who want this to continue say that if we didn’t
give them what they want, they will start a war. The P-TOMS was
signed but has this stopped their killings? Have they been non-violent
even for a month? Do we have to take responsibility for the LTTE’s
continuing hostilities? Ranil Wickremasinghe and Chandrika Kumaratunga
should take responsibility for this situation.
The
international community has lauded this agreement. Won’t they
be discouraged by this and won’t it have an adverse effect
on the country?
This international community you are referring to are a few western
nations. Even before the P-TOMS was signed, these countries were
pushing the President, both publicly and in private, to sign the
agreement. That was one of the main reasons she signed it. Some
of the countries that wanted this agreement signed now say they
will not give money to this Fund as it goes against the law of their
countries. Because of the double faced policy of western nations
against terrorist groups, the innocent people of Britain had to
suffer. The Secretary General of the UN has said recently not to
fund or allow LTTE members to travel overseas as they continue to
conscript children for war. Sri Lanka has already become a signatory
to an international convention along with 108 other countries to
stop terrorism financing. Parliament passed a Bill to this effect
recently. Under the provisions of the Bill, even the Finance Ministry
cannot give money to the Post Tsunami Regional Fund. If that happened
P.B. Jayasundera can be sent to jail.
If
the USA cannot give money to the Fund because of the law of that
country then how can we go against our laws and give money to the
Fund? The money in the Fund goes to the Regional Committees which
are controlled by the LTTE. Now that this Bill has been passed,
the government cannot give money to this Fund. That is why the LTTE”s
representatives in Parliament – the TNA members opposed this
Bill. So doesn’t the international community care about these
things? Don’t the problems that we face also affect them?
Is it only those who attack the USA and UK are called terrorists
while those operating on our country are called freedom fighters?
Your
party is avoiding talking of issues like the cost of living and
clinging onto the national question? Is it because your party is
also responsible for escalating cost of living?
During our 14-month stay with the government we pointed out ways
of reducing the cost of living. Rice production increased and was
the biggest since 1952. Now rice prices have dropped. The monopoly
of Prima was ended. After Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle took that
step bread prices have dropped. On the fuel price increase though
we do not have a direct control we have pointed ways of improving
production and through correct policies to reduce the cost of living.
The
cost of living can be reduced, but the betrayal by the agreement
cannot be reversed. The government status awarded by the agreement
cannot be taken away.
The
sovereignty and integrity of the country protected by our ancestors
is more important as it is not difficult to handle a question about
the cost of living. Today both main parties have become puppets
of ‘White and black tigers’. They are on a contest of
winning the international competition of betraying the country.
Therefore this question is more important compared to other problems.
That does not mean we have forgotten other problems. |
