Sri Lanka PM vows greater political power for Tamils
Sri Lanka’s prime minister on Friday promised greater political power to the island’s Tamil minority under a new constitution aimed at preventing a return to ethnic war and healing the wounds of the past.
Speaking in the Tamil heartland of Jaffna, Ranil Wickremesinghe marked the Hindu festival of Pongal with a pledge to devolve power and demilitarise a former war zone — two of the minority’s key demands.
“We are ready to devolve power (to minority Tamils) and protect democracy,” Wickremesinghe said in a nationally televised ceremony.
The premier also promised to “take action” against both state forces and Tamil rebels accused of war crimes in the final stages of the island’s 37-year-old separatist war, in line with pledges to the UN Human Rights Council last year.
“Who has violated (humanitarian law), it could the security forces or the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam),” he said. “We will take action accordingly.”
Sri Lanka’s year-old government has begun drafting a new constitution aimed at resolving the drawn-out ethnic conflict which ended in 2009 and claimed 100,000 lives, the premier said.
The issue has been fraught, however, with hardline members of the Sinhalese majority opposing a federal system that would ensure more political power for minority Tamils.
Some minorities fear a “unitary” constitution would see them lose out while moderate Tamils who want to remain in a single union have pressed for greater power in areas where they are in the majority.
“The Constitutional Assembly will discuss with all, including (Tamil-dominated) provincial councils to have a new constitution,” Wickremesinghe said. “We will do that in a transparent manner.”
The prime minister also promised Friday to do more to help families of victims resolve the issue of dozens of Tamils who have been imprisoned for years without charge.
Other measures announced include recruiting hundreds of Tamils to the police and military to reduce the mistrust between Jaffna residents and the security establishment, and further support for families of war victims.
“There are lists of missing people and I am afraid most of them may not be among the living,” Wickremesinghe said.
President Maithripala Sirisena, who was elected in January last year partly on the back of Tamil votes, was due to travel to Jaffna Friday, but was unable to make it due to “unavoidable” reasons, his office said.
The regime of former president Mahinda Rajapakse faced repeated UN censure over his failure to investigate allegations that at least 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed by troops under his command while crushing the rebels in 2009.
(AFP)
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R U mad man. I have no words to describe your stupidity.
“There are lists of missing people and I am afraid most of them may not be among the living,” Wickremesinghe said.” Is this adds up to 40,000 Mr. PM?
I like to describe as a joker and at worst a lunatic
The point Mr Amarakoon raise is pertinent to the Tamil issue for Ranil claims he has lists of missing . Do these collectively add up to 40,000 or some more or less. Has either ranil sent his Gestapo to check on who is responsible for the lists and do a random check that is statistically valid and the outcome signiicant. UN is great at statistic maybe they can find the people and the money to do it. At least mahinda/sirisena ought to demand the UN do this instead of hosting cocktail parties something that UN is famous for.
Ranil the hypocrite should consider as to what if the Muslims also seek the same rights as the tamils in that they run their own security remove the Police and the armed forces in areas where they are in the majority. I think the tamils and muslims. The armed forces then could be cut down by at least 15 percent further the Tamils and the Muslims should be encouraged recruit their own forces and Ranil ought to help mobilise (arm) them
Ranil ought realise the dsitinction between war and terrorism. Like Ranil P had no ideology to evade has acts of terrorism they went wherever they could and he was hard pressed to muster forces to sustain his terror tactics. His propaganda machinery churned out a lot of garbage and when it really mattered he sought salvation among civilains. The only legacy he left behind was to inspire ISIS.
.Ranil the cynic cannot fund any evidence about the Tamils ever being persecuted by the Sinhalese. Can he account for the number of Tamils living outside the fictitious tamil homeland. Ranil when you are sober talk about it maybe sirisena could be of some help
Let us face it. We have been a conflict oriented society.
Commencing 1957. we have had a number of ethnic conflicts.
In 1970, we have had the JVP insurgency followed by the JVP lead conflagration during the RP regime.
This has been followed by the 30 year LTTE uprising.
I see no point in confining reconciliation to the LTTE uprising.
If we start counting the dead and missing since 1957, the number will easily exceed 2 million out of a remaining population of 20 million.
I don’t understand why Hindus and Sinhalese always have huge disputes.why Sinhalese don’t like hindus.afterall all these funny people believing the same useless idols and sand made figures…..
Funny people.
You and your president promised so many things which is not achievable. But your health minister said some thing achievable.
To grow scabies.
I mean to grow cannabis.
I am all for cannabis but Rajitha being the health man scabies is on track
Dear Ashiq, You asked us why Sinhalese hate Hindus since both worship idols made out of sand. First tell me why Muslims kill each other? Even recent senseless attacks in Indonesia and ongoing conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, etc. ?
Ashiq,
I have seen more funny people who cover only their women from top to bottom from “black” cloth even in boiling heat. They look like ghosts, if you haven’t seen them yet. By doing this to their females, those funny males expecting to be in a mythical heaven with 7 virgin girls. According to their belief, doing the regenerative process with virgin girls is the most important reward for their loyalty. There is nothing else important for them. The funniest part is if a “woman” goes to this same haven then that woman also will have 7 virgin girls. to do what?
Their god also tells them to kill everyone else who don’t believe their funny stories to go directly to this funny mythical haven.
Those funny people are still living in primitive stone ages, aren’t they?
Funny people, isn’t it?