It is well know that Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapakse, abandoned his party policy for short term political gain and joined up with Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinistic forces. At this time, leader of opposition, Ranil Wickremasinghe, is portraying himself as the friend of the minorities, Tamils, Upcountry Tamils, and Muslims, to attract their votes.

Yet, views to the contrary are leaking from within Wickremasinghe’s own party that appears to publicize the true nature of his party. The speech given by Naveen Dissanayake, in Kiligathana in Hatton last Thursday is a case in point. In the first instance it must be noted that Naveen Dissanayake is the son former UNP Minister, Gamini Dissanayake, and the son-in-law of Karu Jayasuriya, deputy president of UNP. Naveen Dissanayake is also the Nuwareliya district head for UNP.

Naveen Dissanayake proclaimed in parliament during the recent debate to extend the emergency regulation, “If it is war we are ready for war�. This is not very unsimilar to the one declared by J R Jayawardhana in July 1983 immediately after the black July pogrom against the Tamils.

Tamils should carefully note two important truth uttered by Naveen Dissanayake in Hatton on Thursday.

1. UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe was behind the effort to create the Karuna faction that split the LTTE.
2. After Ranil becomes the President LTTE leader Pirabhaharan cannot wage war. If he does then we (Sri Lanka) do not have send our forces to fight the LTTE. Instead it will be the Indian and American forces that will be fighting the LTTE. Ranil has made arrangement to sign agreements to this effect with the Indian Congress leader Sonya Gandhi and the American President George Bush.

Naveen’s utterances has cracked opened the truth and letting the ghost to slowly come out.

Already, Ranil Wickremasinghe, during his time as Prime Minister, turned western super powers, including the USA and the regional super power India against the Tamils. Tamils harbour bitterness against him for creating an international network against Tamils.

Tamils are fearfull that, Ranil who did this when he was a Prime Minister without the executive powers of a President, could do worse once he captures the Presidency with the full executive power that goes with it. Naveen’s speech in Nuwareliya is reinforcing this fears of the Tamil people. Naveen’s speech has engulfed the Tamil people in confusion, frustration and bitterness.

The UNP top leadership must tell the truth to the people about the utterances of an important UNP leader. Failing this, Naveen Dissanayake’s speech will be assumed to be true. Any remaining hopes Tamils have for the UNP will also be gone.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed