Votes of the
Ministry of Defence
Things have changed to the
worst since we handed over power in 1994
- Athukorale
Parliament met at 9.30 a.m. Wednesday 9th December
1998, with Speaker K. B. Ratnayake in the chair.
After presentation of petitions and ministers answered
oral questions House sat in Committee to discuss Votes of
the Ministry of Defence.
Gamini Atukorale (UNP — Ratnapura District)
opening the debate for the opposition moved a cut of Rs.
10 from the votes of the Ministry of Defence.
He said: Things have changed to the worst since we
handed over power in 1994. When we handed over power in
1994, we had confined terrorist activity only to the
North. Today the entire island is under the threat of
terrorism.
Forces are in red alert in every part of the country.
But the Deputy Defence Minister is still claiming that 96
percent of the terrorist problem is now over.
What purpose has been served by the
"Riviresa" and "Jayasikuru"
operations. There is no security in the North. Two mayors
of the Jaffna Municipal Council lost their lives.
Minister Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte: Our
aim was to open the MSR from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi.
'Jayasikuru' completed its third stage. 'Riviresa' will
begin from where 'Jayasikuru' stopped and move forward in
three stages. The aim of opening the full length of the
MSR has not changed.
Atukorale: Only three soldiers were
injured in the operation to capture Oddusuddan. The
operation was led by four officers. But what happened
when you went there like a hero in a drama? According to
accounts of the drama in the "Divaina"
newspaper it looks like the Minister and group of
soldiers who went to Oddusuddan had been chased away by
the enemy.
Please appoint a Select Committee of Parliament to
investigate into allegations of corruption in the armed
services. I will reveal everything I know if you appoint
a Select Committee.
We cannot give evidence before a committee which is
powerless and comprised of a retired judge, a retired
army official and Mr. Christie Silva.
P. B. Dissanayaka (PA — Nuwara Eliya
district) said: The Government launched into a
war with the Tigers after all attempts at peace talks
failed. The military offensive captured areas of the
country that was under the Tigers grip. The military is
now trying to secure the main supply route.
Areas that were held under the Tigers have been
released and farmers in those areas are able to eke out a
living.
The "Grama arakshaka niladaris" have gone
back to farming as they don't receive assistance. I
request the police chief to look into it.
Mano Wijeratne (UNP — Kegalle district)
said: We are spending 13.9 percent of GDP on the war. Our
annual growth rate is about 4 percent. Next year's
allocation for defence is around Rs. 47 billion.
Government has spent Rs. 50 billion a year during the
last five years at an average on defence.
There are about 60 ministers and deputy ministers
today. You could have avoided the one percent increase in
the defence levy if you curbed the expenditure on such a
large number of ministers and deputy ministers.
R. Sampanthan (TULF — Trincomalee
district) said: Nobody talked about how the war
could be brought to an end. Both sides have been arguing
how one could do better than the other. The LTTE
expressed a desire to resolve the conflict with peaceful
means, recently. The LTTE leader in his message to this
country and world has expressed a clear willingness to
engage in talks.
Sometimes when conflicts reach intractable proportions
some forms of third party involvement becomes not only
inevitable but also imperative. The country's economy is
battered and bruised by the war. We are leaving an
impoverished legacy to generations unborn.
We of the TULF oppose the war and the extention of
emergency that has imposed unbearable hardships on our
people.
Over 11,500 people have left the Oddusudan area and
the government has not provided adequate relief to these
displaced people. Young men have dissappeared in this
area.
Susil Moonesinghe: Why don't you
refer to the atrocities committed by the LTTE?
Chair: I do not accept irresponsible interruptions.
Thousands of people are sandwitched between two lines of
power, they have to face the brunt of the attack.
I appeal to the Government and the LTTE to return to
the path of reconciliation and dialogue.
H. W. Weerasinghe (PA — Ampara district)
said: I am asking the United National Party to assist the
Government to resolve the present ethnic crisis. I am
sorry about the stand taken by UNP's General Secretary
Gamini Atukorale. He was questioning why there are
anti-air craft guns around the Parliamentary Complex. He
should know that these things are there for protection.
All the security measures inside and outside Parliament
are for the purpose of protection. And protection is a
necessity.
P. P. Devaraj (CWC-Colombo district)
said: We are trying to find a solution acceptable to
everybody. Why is there a reluctance for third party
facilitation, specially when the war does not show signs
of abating. This is the ripe moment to engage in
discussions between the Government and the opposition and
explore possibilities and methods of engaging the major
opponent LTTE in dialogue.
You must implement confidence building measures and
ensure communal harmony. The people in the plantation
sector find it difficult to obtain identity cards.
Ediriweera Weerawardane (PA-Kandy District) said:
The UNP’s criticism of General Ratwatte’s visit
to Oddusudan last Sunday was very unfair. It was not a
joy ride. It was a journey of life and death undertaken
as a moral boosting measure.
Prabhakaran is in deep trouble after the recent
capture of Oddusuddan. The armed forces have annexed more
land and LTTE is now confined to a very small area in the
North.
A. Adaikulanathan (DPLF-Wanni district)
In the name of terrorist hunting, thousands of Tamils are
arrested. In Kalmunai a young Tamil youth was killed. The
people who arrested this boy should be brought before
court and punished. There have been many such incidents.
Tamil youth are arrested in security raids. In Mannar
6,000 youths are reported to be missing. The TELO will
observe the human rights day as a day of protest.
Ediriweera Premaratne (PA-Kalutara district) said:
Except for Prabhakaran nobody is opposed to war.
Prabhakaran does not talk about the war as a calamity. He
would not stop the war.
But the Government is obliged to resist all kinds of
armed struggle. It cannot just keep quiet when one group
is trying to impose its will by the use of arms.
President has made a public statement that government
was ready to talk to the LTTE provided the group drops
its demand for Eelam. The United Nations recently blamed
the LTTE for continuation of the war.
Both the opposition UNP and the Government must join
hands if a solution is to be found to this burning
question of the day.
Dr. Jayalath Jayawardane (UNP-National List)
said: Government has completely violated the Liam Fox
agreement. This agreement was the basis of an
understanding entered into by the Leader of the
Opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe and President Kumaratunga
to find a solution to the ethnic problem.
The driver who drove the vehicle in which I went to
Madhu as a Christian pilgrim, is still being detained
under the PTA. This man is not a LTTEer. Why is this poor
man being detained.
Shantha Premaratne, Deputy Minister of Plan
Implementation and Parliamentary Affairs said: I
begin my speech by proposing to the House that death
sentence be re-introduced to execute traitors.
The opposition UNP is shamelessly uttering things in
support of the LTTE. During the UNP rule there were two
rulers in the country. One was Prabhakaran who was ruling
the North-East. The South was ruled by Colombo.
Today we have changed that position. The UNP thrived
because of the war. Finally it was thrown out of power
also because of the wretched war.
Nanada Mathew (UNP-Ratnapura district)
said: According to the Army Act the President must
appoint a fit person as Commander of the Army.
Let us examine whether the present Army Commander is a
fit person to hold that post. When he was the Commander
of 2 Division, LTTE attacked and destroyed the Janakapura
army camp.
Pooneryn too was attacked when he was Commander of the
Pooneryn camp. What happened to the report of inquiry
into the attacks on these army camps. Mullaitivu was
another disaster.
How many soldiers have deserted the army after the new
commander assumed office. How many soldiers have been
found guilty of crimes and civil offences? Please obtain
these information from the Military Police.
This army commander used an army helicopter to airlift
his sick brother from Badulla to Colombo at the cost of
the army. Is this not an irregularity?
S. Sivathasan (EPDP-Jaffna district)
said: Tomorrow the world is celebrating the 100th year of
the United Nations Human Rights Charter.
Government has withdrawn permission for private
airlines to fly to Jaffna following the Lion Air
disaster. President has agreed to make arrangements to
enable 500 people to go to Jaffna by sea, but the number
of people wanting to go home is very large and the
capacity of the ship is small.
A large number of people have been displaced following
the capture of Oddusuddan by the army. This has added to
the problems of the people who are already in refugee
camps.
(Continued
Tomorrow)
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