TULF seeks commission on disappearances

By S. S. Selvanayagam

The TULF is urging the government to appoint a commission to probe disappearances in the north, party sources said.

They said they were asking for a probe on similar lines as the commissions which probed disappearances in the south, east, central, Uva and the North-Central provinces.

The reports of those commissions headed by high court judges K. Palakidnar, P. Sunderalingam and lawyer Manori Muttetuwegama have been published as sessional papers in parliament.

The TULF is also asking that a full debate be held on the reports of those commissions.

LTTE threat: Muslims desert village

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

Some 40 Muslim families have fled Kudapokuna, a hamlet in the Polonnaruwa area in the wake of LTTE attacks, and the failure by authorities to provide adequate security.

According to reports, Kudapokuna has faced several LTTE attacks during the last two months, with the police post also being thrice attacked.

The police post was replaced by an Army unit consisting 30 personnel, but a few days ago 20 of them were transferred creating a security vacuum.

The villagers have sought temporary shelter in the nearby villages of Katuwanwila, Thambala and Gallella and refuse to go back until proper security is provided.

The UNP caught well in the split

From the blue corner

By Paakshikaya

Having read Viruddha Paakshikaya's smutty remarks last week about 'splits' in the People's Alliance, the sensible response would be to ignore it. But we politicians are not always sensible, (just ask Anura, Ronnie or Wijepala!) So I cannot resist the temptation of countering his silly illustrations about "divisions" in our Alliance. And, as they say, the best way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it, so here goes!

Yes, as Viruddha Paakshikaya says, we are a People's Alliance, and Viruddha Paakshikaya should know better than anyone about alliances having had the 'Hath Havula' or the seven party Alliance from 1965 to 1970 with a host of problems, ending in the resounding electoral defeat in 1970. Now, that wouldn't happen to us because even though there are many divergent views, we are linked together in a kind of National Government. At least, we can agree to disagree.

Even Viruddha Paakshikaya will agree that there must be differences of opinion in a Cabinet that includes - to name a few - G.L. Peiris, Saumyamoorthy Thondaman and Batty Weerakoon. Personality clashes are quite normal at this level of high profile politics. Come on, Viruddha Paakshikaya, that is not a new discovery of yours!

Now, this is why I couldn't resist this temptation. You say we are the experts on splits. That is unpardonable, coming from the "Green Corner". Come, Come, Viruddha Paakshikaya, let me refresh your memory. Do you recall something called the 'Impeachment'? How the ground was cut from under the feet of your Great Leader, R. Premadasa. He got up one morning (at 3.30 a.m. as usual) found some of his MPs had cut his throat, and couldn't sleep well for a long time thereafter.

That 'split' the UNP right down the middle, didn't it, Paakshikaya? It gave birth to the DUNF which certainly brought together strange bedfellows - Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake.

The open rivalry and bickering between Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake was well known. Mahapola versus Mahaveli was exploited to the full by Machiavelli's elder brother. J. R. Jayewardene, who imbibing the best colonial traditions, fervently believed in 'divide and rule' and kept them that way.

We know of the time when Lalith Athulathmudali went and complained to J.R. Jayewardene during the height of the Vadamarachchi battle that JR should not have him fight for war while having Gamini Dissanayake fight for Peace. JR of course, opted for the latter.

Then, when it came to the time of appointing the Presidential Candidate to succeed JRJ he gave it to Premadasa, despite Gamini Dissanayake arguing his case specially on the night of September the seventeenth, 1988 - JR's birthday at his private estate.

JR may have thought he was giving Premadasa some political rope to hang himself, but the latter was a quick learner in the art of 'splitting'. He took a leaf out of his Master's book, ignored both Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake and gave the Premiership to Dingiri Banda Wijetunge, who we all know was the most "suitable" man! (We read recently that Premadasa even offered to cut DBW to give the Premiership to Anura Bandaranaike in early 1993. So says The Sunday Times quoting Anura Bandaranaike himself. So, no wonder then, that DBW started dismantling the Premadasa apparatus no sooner he sat on the Hot Seat!)

But the UNP's history on splits go back a long way. It goes back to the dawn of independence when our founder. S.W.R.D Bandaranaike left it, calling it the 'Uncle Nephew Party'.

Viruddha Paakshikaya, you mentioned a remark by Dudley Senanayake, teasing Stanley Tillekeratne. That was really a below the belt shot, wasn't it? But, Viruddha Paakshikaya, was Stanley wrong to refer to splits in the UNP?

Let me quote from the authorised version of J.R. Jayawardene's biography by K.M. de Silva and Howard Wriggins; (chapter 12 - the struggle for reform of the UNP: JR vs Dudley Senanayake): "...... this larger struggle for reform of the Party was affected by, and in turn affected the deteriorating relationship between JR and Dudley Senanayake. After a wait of nearly 20 years JR was becoming impatient for the leadership. In the last quarter of 1970, the division between JR and the Party leader indented because of sharp difference on tactics and strategy on opposition to the government."

The book - JR's authorised version - says how Dudley went to the people as JR continued "constructive accommodation" with Mrs. Bandaranaike's government. JR did not join Dudley in those public rallies at Kandy, Kegalle etc. He even felt that if Mrs. Bandaranaike invited the UNP to join the government, that the party should do so and even accept portfolios.

The book states - in page 235 - "As for the UNP, Dudley Senanayake moved swiftly to cut JR down to size" and how M.D. Banda moved a resolution to have JR expelled.

JR took Dudley to courts and only A.C.S. Hameed took his side in the Working Committee. JR's only other ally, V.A. Sugathadasa was ill at the time. R. Premadasa resigned from the UNP and formed his own Citizens Front. He nearly got assaulted when he returned from India for Dudley Senanayake's funeral, amidst a national outpouring of grief in April 1973. And my unseen friend, Viruddha Paakshikaya, talks of 'splits' in the People's Alliance!

Of course I can just imagine what Viruddha Paakshikaya will say to all this. "So what?" he may say, "JR and Dudley patched up their differences before Dudley died!" Well, my point is that Viruddha Paakshikaya can ill afford to participate on splits, cracks, divisions, whatever!

Now to return to the present era, I will not pretend there are no divisions in the PA. I will not hide behind UNP splits of the past. I will refer to both - divisions in the PA today and divisions in the UNP today - and readers can draw their own conclusions.

It is true that Fowzie and Ashraff are contending forces. They, naturally, want to extend their respective influences with the Muslim Community. Isn't that natural politics? They remain anti-UNP though, and that is what matters to the government.

You say Lakshman Kadirgamar and G.L. Peiris are not talking to each other. That may or may not be true but our leadership is sincere enough not to fuel any rivalry like JR did with Lalith and Gamini instead both have been talked to about it.

As for S.B. Dissanayake and Mangala Samaraweera, don't ever harbour hopes on that - their hatred of the UNP will keep them together, come what may! And the same applies to Anuruddha Ratwatte and Lakshman Kiriella, who are only fighting a minor 'local battle', anyway.

Regarding Ms. Bandaranaike, I thought it was rather in bad taste for Viruddha Paakshikaya to stress on her physical ailments and her foot. That's a personal difficulty the Grand Old Lady is undergoing - the residual effect of a mild stroke she suffered, sometime back but she is yet carrying out her public duties with great courage and .......... at age 81. Happy Birthday, Madam, for the seventeenth, and may many more come your way! Viruddha Paakshikaya can rest assured that none of us will wish anything but good for her! I did not sign off with a threat when I said "more later", about the divisions in the UNP. I said so purely because of the lack of space in my last column. In fact, I guess I've run out of space this week too, so I'll keep my "threat" for another day. Suffice to say this: I said, a fortnight ago about divisions in the UNP, and of those who want to be Foreign Minister, those who want to be Finance Minister and those who want to be Prime Minister. The Anura-Ronnie clash has clearly shown the battle for the premier stakes.

The recent news item indicating with whom the UNP leader is visiting China next week might be a pointer as to who wants to be Foreign Minister. The fact that the UNP leader left behind many of his senior Parliamentarians better versed in foreign relations begs two questions - is this the new UNP he is portraying? Who arranged the visit?

Poor Shahul Hameed, the longest serving Foreign Minister we have had. We see him meeting all the Ambassadors here, but he will not be Foreign Minister again it seems

The answers, I can assure my dear Viruddha Paakshikaya, are as interesting as they would be enlightening. Let me conclude on that note. More later, of course!

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