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Featured Article: Is the government ready to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee?

Monday, 26 March 2007

As far as the Lankan Tamils are concerned, the human rights violations such as abductions disappearances, death threats, demanding ransom etc have increased in an unprecedented scale.

These human rights violations take place in the Tamil traditional home land in the government controlled areas and in the south as normal occurrences. It is the grievance of the Tamils that the law enforcement authorities are indifferent to these human rights violations against them. These human rights violations have now become a great concern of the international community.

If the government leadership wants, these human rights violations can be brought under control within a couple of hours. It is the accusations by the Tamils that the government leadership doesn’t have the commitment and the determination to bring these human rights violations against the Tamils to an end.

But, the response by the President Rajapakse is of a different nature. He has advised that abductions and disappearances should not be exaggerated with the motive of carrying out a propaganda to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka. He has also appealed that unfounded allegations should not be made.

Two matters arise from his statement. It is true unfounded allegations should not be made. For example, there are abductions in the capital and in government controlled areas. It may be the victims are unable to point there fingers at the culprits. While at the same time no appropriate steps were taken when clues were given to the authorities. In such a situation can it be expected that the people and the media should refrain from exposing them merely to earn a good name for the country?.

Another matter that is worth mentioning is that the Chief Whip of the UNP has stated that he was aware of the involvement of even ministers and prominent people in abductions and the demanding of ransom. He has further stated he would reveal the details, if a Parliamentary Select Committee is appointed to go into the question.

Meanwhile former Ministers Mangala Samaeraweera and Sripathy Sooriyarachchi too have demanded the appointment of a Parliamentary select Committee to inquire into their allegations.

While the President makes an appeal not to make unfounded allegations, the opposition demands the appointment of the Parliamentary Select committee to prove their allegations.