Sacked Ministers sing a different tune

Various allegations have been levelled against the Government by Parliamentarians Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi after they were sacked from their ministerial portfolios.

It is understandable for politicians to air different views altogether once they are sacked. Hence, the public would not take serious note of what they say. If they were genuinely interested in protecting the country and the political party they belonged to, they should have expressed those views while they held portfolios. Now that they have been sacked because they failed to honour collective responsibility and safeguard national interest, there is no weight or logic in what they say.

It is a crying shame that Samaraweera and his confidante Sooriyarachchi deviated from national interest and issued statements to bring discredit to the Government's achievements in combatting terrorism and question sensible moves taken in the best interest of national security.

Samaraweera made a desperate attempt to tarnish Sri Lanka's human rights record, which has improved tremendously since the SLFP-led alliance came to power in 1994. Despite being forced to fight Prabhakaran's ruthless terrorism, President Mahinda Rajapaksa always made a sincere effort to protect human rights.

Unlike Samaraweera and Sooriyarachchi, President Rajapaksa is a man who had even been jailed to protect the rights of our people. He led a successful campaign against the then UNP Governments, who had a poor human rights record. Hence, President Rajapaksa is truly aware how important it is to protect human rights in a civil society.

At the same time, law and order should be maintained at all times. On the other hand, national security, sovereignty and the territorial integrity of our motherland should always come first. Search operations, lawful arrests and questionings should not be mixed with disappearances. It is indeed a crime to connect the two.

We do not know what former Minister Samaraweera intended when he said there are regular disappearances in Sri Lanka. Being a senior Cabinet Minister with huge powers vested under three major ministries that were under him, Samaraweera should well be aware on the gravity of such a baseless statement whatever it may be, all what he has tried to do is to bring discredit to the Government.

Similarly, Sooriyarachchi has made a statement that could well throw former LTTE heavyweight Karuna Amman out of democratic politics. At a time when the former LTTE No. 2 has changed his faith from the bullet to the ballot, irresponsible statements of this nature could thrust the liberated East to the warfront again.

Though Sooriyarachchi made a desperate attempt to push Karuna back to jungle life, the former LTTE Eastern 'leader' has not changed his stand on the democratic path. The sacked Minister alleged that the Government troops could kill Karuna.

However, Karuna Amman was not perturbed by such statements made with obvious vested interests. He was quick to respond to Sooriyarachchi's statement. Karuna Amman said that he was not concerned about his life and at the same time did not believe the Government had any plans to assassinate him as alleged by the former Minister.

Karuna said that there was absolutely no reason for the Government to assassinate him. Though the two sacked Ministers could not understand, Karuna Ammana has admitted that the Government works in the best interests of the Tamil community and under those circumstances it will not resort to such an act as alleged by Sooriyarachchi.

There has been an allegation that there has been a pact with the Government and the LTTE and it's due to this that the Tigers are making tactical withdrawals each time the Government forces make advances. If such an allegation has been made in public, it is a serious matter and the Government should question all persons involved as it would undermine the great sacrifices made by our brave security forces, especially during the past 15 months.

Former Minister Samaraweera has made ten proposals. Why couldn't Samaraweera consider a smaller Cabinet when he was a confidante of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga? He has suddenly realised the size of the Cabinet only after one of his three powerful Ministries has been taken away.

Samaraweera also talks about the Ministries being held by the President.However, has he forgotten the fact that the three powerful Ministries held by him until recently - Foreign, Aviation and Ports and Shipping, are three major Ministries which were under three prominent Ministers during the UNP regime. He should well have realised this fact long ago.

He also talks about media freedom. But has he forgotten the bitter truth that the President allows a certain newspaper, which carries anti-Government news, under his direct or indirect patronage to run? Hasn't this newspaper enjoyed the freedom enjoyed by other media groups?

Samaraweera has also forgotten the fact that the defence expenditure takes a major slice of the country's budgetary allocations. Hence, his allegations that the President accounts for Rs. 766 billion out of Rs. 1,319 annual expenditure is baseless.

Samaraweera has alleged that the LTTE was scoring points in the international sphere due to the country's present human rights record. But in actual terms, it was Samaraweera's immature statements that would help the LTTE to regain its lost international pride. The intelligent people in this country would decide who is interested in protecting the LTTE's human rights at the expense of innocent civilians and our national security.