The government should implement at least thirteen amendment and ensure devolution of power to the Provincial Council permanently and express it’s goodwill.
The government is facing severe pressure at the international level. Resolution 46/1 will be revisited in the September 2021 HRC session and the government will face severe challenges. The Sri Lankan government did not co-sponsor the resolution and completely rejected it. As a result, outside the Human Rights Council, the international community has begun to exert various pressures on the government. The European Union decided to reconsider its GSP tariff. On other hand a resolution at the US Congress is waiting to be adopted. These are just the beginnings.
The Sri Lankan government is considering various ways to relieve itself from these pressures. The president recently told the media that the Government is ready to work with the UN. The international community has condemned the PTA as an aid to state abuse of power. Demands for its removal have been raised. A Presidential Commission has been set up to deal with it as a tactic.
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has said that a committee will be set up to look into the release of Tamil lands. He could not say that we would stop the current process of acquiring Tamil lands. Or could not declare that we would not acquire Tamil lands in the future. Because all sorts of plans to discriminate the Tamil people are going to be implemented.
In such a political climate, there are unconfirmed reports stated that the government is ready to negotiate with the Tamil side. No clear comments have been made as to what the government is going to negotiate. At the international level, the government is trying to resort to various tactics to relieve itself at least temporarily of the growing crisis against them. We see all these attempts are part of these tactics. We will never support this initiative of the government. The government’s attempt to escape international pressure at the expense of our Tamil people will never be allowed.
Telo believes that at least implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in full and the perpetuation of the powers of the provincial councils can pave the way for constructive dialogue. The government can do this on the basis of court rulings and minor amendments to the Constitution. The government today has all the credentials and strength to do so. A simple majority is enough. This requires the government’s commitment.
If the government takes this action as a goodwill gesture, it will create a favourable environment for negotiations. This is nothing new. We demand the fulfilment of our right which is already available in the Constitution.
The government, which passed the new bill to the Port City Commission and handed it over to China, will be able to perpetuate provincial powers through the 13th Amendment, which is already in the constitution. There won’t be any difficulty in implementation. There is no need to be reluctant.
Moreover, we cannot see any political justification in the government’s call for a negotiation while issues such as the release of political prisoners, the operation of offices for missing persons, land grabbing, and the appointment of Sinhala executives to Tamil areas administrations are pending without solution.
The government must express its goodwill and create a conducive environment for negotiation. Even during the last Mahinda Rajapakse regime, an all-party meeting on a political solution was held and no constructive conclusion was reached even after 18 rounds of talks. Similarly, recommendations were made on what constitutional reforms should be made on the part of the TNA to fully implement the 13th Amendment and devolve powers of the Provincial Councils permanently. A committee headed by the current Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was set up for this purpose. But no constructive steps were taken by this committee.
It is for the government or any other party to assume that the TNA will rush behind a call for talks after we have had so many such deceiving experiences.
Negotiation is necessary. We are not against it. It is the duty of the government to create a conducive environment by expressing goodwill gesture.
We will not allow Tamil people to fall prey or be part to the government’s tactics to use of negotiating with the Tamil side as escape passage to international pressure.
Surenthiran
Media Speaker- TELO
Tamil National Alliance