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23.01.2008.
Speech made by President TULF at the handing over ceremony of the Proposal by Hon. Tissa Vitharana to His Excellency the President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse.
Your Excellency the President, Hon. Ministers, Hon. Members of Parliament, Leaders of Political Parties, Ladies and Gentlemen.
It may be a surprise to all of you to see me participating in today’s ceremony held to hand over an interim report of the APRC to His Excellency the President by Hon. Tissa Vitharana, I owe an explanation to the People of this country, to the International Community and also to Sri Lankans living abroad, as to why I am giving my support for the implementation of the 13th Amendment in full, as a first step before a final solution is recommended by the APRC. I speak also on behalf of Mr. D. Sitharthan and Mr. T. Sritharan representing the PLOTE and the Pathmanabha EPRLF respectively with whom the TULF has formed an alliance in the good interest of the Tamil speaking minorities. It is no secret that that we had been agitating for a solution based on the Federal concept and also offered to accept the Indian Model as an alternative if the term federal is allergic to any one. We have not changed our views in this matter and in the matter of merger of the North and the East. We assure everybody that while spurning violence we will by non-violent means and in a friendly way continue to persuade the citizens of our country to agree that no permanent solution can be found under a Unitary System. We will continue to dispel the fears of those who think that country will be divided. We will take all steps to erase off the minds of our people the idea of separation and to strongly support the concept of a United Sri Lanka.
To achieve this, the Government and the Media should seriously discourage propagating one section of the People as superior or inferior to another. We have joined today in this historic assembly that could be described as the Constituent Assembly taking its first step towards bringing peace, to the bleeding Nation and to its people who had undergone untold hardships for a period of half a century and more particularly during the past 25 years.
We have joined this assembly today to show our solidarity on behalf of the Tamil people, for the re-birth of a Nation where we the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Malays, Burgers and Members of all the other small groups live as equals in all respects, in a society where one is in no way superior or inferior to the other.
We dispute the claim of any one who says that this country belongs to one group or to the other. With only about 22 miles of the Palk Strait separating Sri Lanka from India, we call upon the 60 Million Tamils living across this strait to give their blessings and their co-operation to bring back normalcy and peace for our people and wish us a bright future without being misled by a handful of pro-LTTE Leaders on both sides. We assure the Tamils living across, that there is no attempt by anybody to annihilate the Tamils and that contrary to that, more than half of the Tamil population is living in the South happily among the Sinhalese and Muslims reposing confidence in them, far away from their tradition places of habitation.
Over a period of 20 years several opportunities were given to the LTTE to come back to the negotiating table. I had even volunteered to negotiate with the Government to obtain them a prominent role in the Administration of the North and the East. Even a general amnesty for the Leaders and the Cadre was offered. They did not pay any attention to any offer. Instead they are sacrificing valuable human lives on both sides every day. Even now these offers are open.
It is regrettable to note that apart from exposing our people to grave danger they have once again started massacring innocent Sinhalese Villagers who mind their own business without any interest in Politics. Our people, I mean the Sri Lankans had suffered enough, loss enough and are living in constant fear and tension. They want relief now.
His Excellency has assured that the APRC will continue with its task and the implementation of the 13th amendment is only an interim measure. We hope APRC will continue this process in the same spirit and find a solution which will meet the aspirations of the Tamil-speaking people. We whole-heartedly support His Excellency’s efforts to find Peace in our country.
I thank Hon. Tissa Vitharana and representatives of various political parties for the efforts they took.
Thanking you.
V. Anandasangaree,
President – TULF.
Your Excellency the President, Hon. Ministers, Hon. Members of Parliament, Leaders of Political Parties, Ladies and Gentlemen.
It may be a surprise to all of you to see me participating in today’s ceremony held to hand over an interim report of the APRC to His Excellency the President by Hon. Tissa Vitharana, I owe an explanation to the People of this country, to the International Community and also to Sri Lankans living abroad, as to why I am giving my support for the implementation of the 13th Amendment in full, as a first step before a final solution is recommended by the APRC. I speak also on behalf of Mr. D. Sitharthan and Mr. T. Sritharan representing the PLOTE and the Pathmanabha EPRLF respectively with whom the TULF has formed an alliance in the good interest of the Tamil speaking minorities. It is no secret that that we had been agitating for a solution based on the Federal concept and also offered to accept the Indian Model as an alternative if the term federal is allergic to any one. We have not changed our views in this matter and in the matter of merger of the North and the East. We assure everybody that while spurning violence we will by non-violent means and in a friendly way continue to persuade the citizens of our country to agree that no permanent solution can be found under a Unitary System. We will continue to dispel the fears of those who think that country will be divided. We will take all steps to erase off the minds of our people the idea of separation and to strongly support the concept of a United Sri Lanka.
To achieve this, the Government and the Media should seriously discourage propagating one section of the People as superior or inferior to another. We have joined today in this historic assembly that could be described as the Constituent Assembly taking its first step towards bringing peace, to the bleeding Nation and to its people who had undergone untold hardships for a period of half a century and more particularly during the past 25 years.
We have joined this assembly today to show our solidarity on behalf of the Tamil people, for the re-birth of a Nation where we the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Malays, Burgers and Members of all the other small groups live as equals in all respects, in a society where one is in no way superior or inferior to the other.
We dispute the claim of any one who says that this country belongs to one group or to the other. With only about 22 miles of the Palk Strait separating Sri Lanka from India, we call upon the 60 Million Tamils living across this strait to give their blessings and their co-operation to bring back normalcy and peace for our people and wish us a bright future without being misled by a handful of pro-LTTE Leaders on both sides. We assure the Tamils living across, that there is no attempt by anybody to annihilate the Tamils and that contrary to that, more than half of the Tamil population is living in the South happily among the Sinhalese and Muslims reposing confidence in them, far away from their tradition places of habitation.
Over a period of 20 years several opportunities were given to the LTTE to come back to the negotiating table. I had even volunteered to negotiate with the Government to obtain them a prominent role in the Administration of the North and the East. Even a general amnesty for the Leaders and the Cadre was offered. They did not pay any attention to any offer. Instead they are sacrificing valuable human lives on both sides every day. Even now these offers are open.
It is regrettable to note that apart from exposing our people to grave danger they have once again started massacring innocent Sinhalese Villagers who mind their own business without any interest in Politics. Our people, I mean the Sri Lankans had suffered enough, loss enough and are living in constant fear and tension. They want relief now.
His Excellency has assured that the APRC will continue with its task and the implementation of the 13th amendment is only an interim measure. We hope APRC will continue this process in the same spirit and find a solution which will meet the aspirations of the Tamil-speaking people. We whole-heartedly support His Excellency’s efforts to find Peace in our country.
I thank Hon. Tissa Vitharana and representatives of various political parties for the efforts they took.
Thanking you.
V. Anandasangaree,
President – TULF.
