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JHU says it’s not fundamentalist
With international pressure LTTE can be brought to the negotiating table
By Chandani Kirinde
The party comprising exclusively of Buddhist monks – the JHU – says that they did not include the status of Buddhism in their 12-point MoU signed with SLFP presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse because the place of Buddhism is guaranteed in the Constitution.

JHU President Ven. Ellawela Medananda Thera told The Sunday Times in an interview that the 12-point MoU relates to issues common to all Sri Lankans, and the party was not a ' fundamentalist ' organisation.

Ven. Medananda Thera also down-played the non-inclusion of any anti-conversion provisions in the MoU, one of the key platforms of the JHU in recent months, which even tabled an Anti-Conversion Bill in parliament to stem the forcible conversion of Buddhists to other faiths, especially 'new religions '.
He simply said "we have spoken on behalf of everyone" in the MoU signed with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse.
Following are excerpts from the interview:

On what basis did you decide to come to an agreement with the Prime Minister?
It was on a decision by the JHU working committee. We had talks with both the presidential candidates Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse. Our main concern was the unitary status of the country. We were not satisfied with the manner in which Mr.Wickremesinghe said he would handle the issue.

Power has been devolved within the country to the maximum extent possible via the Provincial Councils and there was no room for further devolution. Any more devolution would tantamount to giving a separate state. This talk of more devolution is a fraud. We decided to support the Prime Minister because he had agreed to uphold the Constitution and act within its framework. But this support was not to the SLFP or to bolster an individual but to protect the unitary status of the country.

Why did the discussions with Mr. Wickremesinghe fail?
We were not happy with the points made by him, particularly his statement made in India that a Federal setup was required to settle the problem in the north and east.

But, President Chandrika Kumaratunga also has made a similar statement in New York speaking in favour of a federal solution. What do you have to say about that?
Whatever the President says we are confident that in keeping with our agreement such a thing will not happen.

Did you have lengthy discussions before coming to such an agreement?
We held talks for about a month. Ideas from both sides were taken and incorporated in the agreement. No one can disagree with our proposals because they are for the common good of the Sinhalese, Tamils and the Muslims. We have spoken on behalf of everyone through these proposals without mentioning any ethnic group or religion. These are national necessities. That is why we have left out any assurances on Buddhism or the Anti Conversion Bill.

You contested as a party representing the Sinhala Buddhists, so why haven’t you included anything on Buddhism?
A. Buddhism has always been ensured the foremost place in our Constitutions since 1948 so there was no need to make a special mention of it in this agreement. What we need to do is safeguard the unitary status of the country. We want to live in harmony with all communities. We are not racists or fundamentalists. We want people of all races and religions to live together.

Didn’t you even discuss any of the guarantees regarding Buddhism with the Prime Minister?
A: No, we did not take up religion as an issue as we believe that there are safeguards in the Constitution that Buddhism will be protected. Therefore we need not take these issues separately.

What about the anti-conversion bill which the JHU has been canvassing for.
A: Even that was not taken up for discussion with the Prime Minister as we believed that religion will be protected by the constitution.

You must be aware that President Chandrika Kumaratunga has expressed some reservations regarding the Prime Minister’s agreements with both the JVP and the JHU? What is the guarantee that he will be able to implement the agreements if elected President?
When Mr. Rajapakse becomes the president, he should have no difficulty in implementing them. We haven’t said anything that cannot be done. We have said the country should be developed and no one would disagree with that. We say there should be peace in the country and no one is against that either.

The majority also agree that the unity of the country must be preserved. If a promise has been made, it has to be kept and I don’t believe he will have any difficulty in implementing these proposals. It is wrong to call this problem in the country an “ethnic conflict.” Along with the Sinhalese, there are people of all communities who live and work all over the country.

It is only one Tamil group that has created this terrorism. This is a terrorist problem. We don’t say the LTTE should be destroyed but what we say is they should be brought to the correct path using external pressure. They also cannot be accepted as the sole representatives of the Tamil people.

All parties agree that the LTTE is the main player in the on going problem in the country. With this kind of agreement in place, do you think that the LTTE would even come to the negotiating table?
That has to be handled in a clever manner using the proper tactics to force them to the negotiating table. We have to use the assistance of other countries. A great deal has to be done to put right the wrong image that has been created by the LTTE against Sri Lanka.

Lakshman Kadirgamar was one person who worked a great deal in this direction. But what have our ambassadors in these countries done to correct the situation. They enjoy all diplomatic privileges but have done nothing. The LTTE is killing everyone they want out of the way but the other side is not doing anything. The rebels in Aceh province (in Indonesia) laid down arms and joined the peace process. In the same manner, pressure must be exerted on the LTTE to do the same.

What kind of pressure are you talking about?
There are many rich countries such as the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and Norway from where the LTTE receives funds. They can stop this and ask the LTTE to come to the negotiating table. They have to stop nourishing the LTTE.

The JVP-Rajapakse pact had a clause dealing with Norway stating their future role in the peace process need to be seriously re-considered, but in the JHU-Rajapakse agreement there is no reference to Norway at all? Why is that so?
We do not accept Norway. It is a non entity for us. We do not recognise Norway and if we included them in this agreement that means we have given them some recognition.

They must be sent out of the country. They have worked fraudulently and in a manner that has harmed the unity of the country.

You want the P-TOMS abolished. What is the alternative to help tsunami victims in the north and east?
If we can provide assistance to other tsunami victims without the P-TOMS, why cannot we do so for the people of the north and east as well. We have to win over the ordinary people and assist them. You cannot nourish and control the LTTE at the same time. We have fallen into this calamity because we are acting according to the agenda of a terrorist group.

Can you expect a group that has fought a war for over 20 years to suddenly disarm?
A. The question is not whether the LTTE will disarm or not. It must disarm. The Aceh rebels agreed to disarm. The rulers of that country somehow brought them to this situation.

Can you do that without re-starting the war? Many see the JHU-Rajapakse proposals as a sure way to push the LTTE back to war?
Our people as well as our rulers are over- estimating the LTTE. Thanks to the foolish polices of our own leaders, they have managed to hole up in many parts of the country today. Our present rulers are completely responsible for this situation. They are doing certain things to give the impression that they are powerful. If the LTTE wages a conventional war with our armed forces, it would not have the strength to last even for half an hour. But they adopt dirty tactics and hide and attack. But the LTTE does not have the kind of strength they try to project.

If we work according to their agenda there will never be peace in this country. A hard line approach must be adopted against the LTTE. There is no need to go back to war. If we take a tough stand, the war will be over. The LTTE is asking for a war by carrying on killings. They are doing their best to provoke the armed forces.

You said it was the foolish behaviour of our rulers that had led to this situation. Mr. Rajapakse has been in power for several years now as well. What is the guarantee that he will act any differently?
We have looked at the person; spoken to the person and estimated that he has the strength to act according to his convictions. We will lend our support to him and see how he works. If he cannot deliver, then we will have to look for other alternatives.

If Mr. Rajapakse wins the presidency, what will be the role of the JHU from then on? Will you be part of a government led by him?
The JHU is not getting into an alliance with any party. We are supporting Mr. Rajapakse in this instance to be the President but the JHU is not a tail of either the Prime Minister or the SLFP. We were elected because people realised the need for a third force in the country. We will work independently and uphold the pledges given to people who have faith in us and voted for us. We are not a disruptive force.

Will you be campaigning for Mr.Rajapakse from the same election platform?
We will not be attending election rallies organised by the Prime Minister. Let them carry on. We in the JHU will campaign separately for his candidature. We will start our 1000-temples programme soon. The campaign will be directed through the temples.

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