PSC holds better prospects for Tamils - Minister Douglas Devananda

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) and Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda says the three years after the end of war has given many things to the Tamil people who had been deprived of their rights in the past. Yet there are so many other things they have to win, such as a political solution to the problems faced by the people in the North and East. The Minister is confident that Tamil people will be able to find the solutions for the pending problems in the future.

In an interview with the Sunday Observer Minister Devananda said that they are confident the Parliament Select Committee will pave the way to find a political solution for the ethnic problem in the country and as a party representing the Tamil community the EPDP will actively participate in the PSC and will take action to accelerate the process enabling the parties to reach consensus on the issue very soon. Following are excerpts of the interview the Sunday Observer had with Minister Douglas Devananda.

Q: On May Day, the Eelam People's Democratic Party organised a separate May Day rally in Jaffna. What was your aim of having such a May Day rally in Jaffna as a single party? Some are of the view that it was organised against the common opposition May Day rally held in Jaffna?

A: We did not have any hidden agenda for our May Day rally in Jaffna. The only intention was to express the views of our party people. Through that May Day rally we could achieve that target.

Q: It has been reported that you have met Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in Jaffna. What was the main concentration in your discussion with him?

A: It was only a friendly meeting with the Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Nothing special was discussed there. But my meeting with the Opposition leader was important because I could explain and discuss the real situation in Jaffna and to explain the situation of the Tamil community in the North to him.

Q: The participation of the Tamil National Alliance at the common opposition May Day rally was commended by the Government. As a Tamil political leader representing the Government, what is your view on this combination?

A: There is no truth in the policies of the Tamil National Alliance. That was very clearly reflected through their participation in the common opposition May Day rally in Jaffna. The political parties of the TNA are having contradictory opinions about their participation at the Opposition May Day rally. One is of the opinion that the raising of national flag by TNA MP was correct and others are saying that it was against their policies. There is no argument about those who are saying that the hoisting of the national flag as a right thing. But those who are saying that it was wrong, must remember the fact that they have taken an oath when they become Members of Parliament.

Q: The Government has taken an initiative to appoint a Parliament Select Committee to discuss a solution for the North East problem. It has not commenced its proceedings as the Opposition has not appointed their Members. Is there any progress on this matter?

A: The Parliament Select Committee was appointed with the consensus of all political parties in the Parliament to find an amicable solution to the ethnic conflict. It is unfortunate that the Opposition is not participating in the Select Committee. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe during the common opposition May day rally has said that the Tamil National Alliance should also be included in the Parliament Select Committee. We agree with that view. We should all get together and evolve an amicable solution to the ethnic problem as soon as possible.

Q: As a Tamil political party leader, do you have any program to bring all political parties representing the Tamil population to the Parliament Select Committee to expedite this process?

A: I have done my level best to bring all the Tamil political parties together. We have done that. At the latter stages the Tamil National Alliance was also about to join that process. But unfortunately with the holding of the elections in the North, they distanced from that process. Now we are trying to do that again.

We are also ready to have discussions with all the political parties appointed to the PSC to accelerate the process of reaching a consensus on a political solution to the ethnic problem. Our party is ready to have discussions with all the Tamil political parties and to reactivate the Tamil Party Forum enabling to reach consensus among Tamil political parties.

Q: At the UNHRC, a resolution was passed urging the Government to implement the recommendations of the LLRC report. As a political party representing the Tamil population, how do you see the LLRC recommendations and what is your opinion about the implementation of these recommendations?

A: As a political party we endorse the recommendations included in the LLRC report because many of the points included in it were points we have been emphasising for the past few decades. While emphasising that LLRC recommendations should be implemented. we also flatly reject the allegations levelled against the EPDP in the LLRC report.

Q: What are the commonalities you see in the LLRC recommendations and the policies of your political party ?

A: The LLRC report that was tabled in Parliament on December 16, 2011 in its observation and recommendations has emphasised what the EPDP has been propagating for the past two decades with regard to the grievances of the Tamil people.

The Commission takes the view that the root cause of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka lies in the failure of the successive Governments to address the genuine grievances of the Tamil people is also what we were propagating for the past few decades.

As we emphasised earlier, the LLRC also recommended that maximum possible devolution to the periphery especially at the grassroots level as well as the power sharing at the centre needed to address the ethnic problem in the country.

It also recommends that the lessons learnt from the shortcomings in the functioning of the Provincial Council system be taken into account in devising an appropriate system of devolution that address the needs of the people as we were emphasising at various fora.

We also said that LTTE was the main obstacle to reach a political consensus that will facilitate the devolution of power and LLRC also accept that fact.

As we suggested earlier, the LLRC also recommend that an additional mechanism that may be considered is the possibility establishing a Second Chamber comprising Representatives from the Provinces. Our party's stance on the resolving of the ethnic question are similar to that of the recommendations of the LLRC.

Apart from that, our stance on the Language policy, and our stance with regard to the land policy have also been reflected in the LLRC report. Therefore we endorse the recommendations of the LLRC particularly with regard to the recommendations on minority grievances and request the early implementation of the recommendations.

Q: But the LLRC also commented badly on the EPDP. What do you have to say about those allegations about the EPDP mentioned in the LLRC report?

A: We regret to note the comments made with regard to the EPDP in the LLRC report. While denying the allegations about the EPDP, I wish to state that there is wide discrepancies in what really transpired when I gave evidence at the LLRC and the paraphrases stated in the report as being the conversation between me and the commission. When I was giving evidence before the commission I brought to the notice of the commission the incorrect translation at many instances which had resulted in misunderstanding what I have stated there. I have brought it to the notice of the Parliament also.

The commission has also failed to recognise the fact that the alleged one or two complaints made against the EPDP are supposed to be by members of the public were tactics adopted by LTTE remnants among Diaspora engaging locals for character assassinations against me and the EPDP.

I wish to state the LLRC report acknowledges the fact that, immediately after signing the CFA the members of the EPDP were required to give up their arms and they become vulnerable to the fact that the LTTE cadres were permitted to openly carry arms. But the commission has failed in its duty by not calling any of the family members of these victims to give evidence before the commission and for not recommending any compensation to them.

Q: A few weeks back you attempted to launch a protest against the Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lanka territorial waters. What happened to that idea?

A: With regard to the problem faced by the fishermen in the Northern part of Sri Lanka due to the poaching of Indian fishermen, we handed over a petition to the Indian Parliament delegation leader and the Opposition Leader of the central government of India when she visited Sri Lanka recently. In that petition we have explained the damages caused to the fishing resources in the Sri Lankan territorial waters due to Indian fishermen poaching in our territorial waters, and also the recommendations to mitigate those damages. Now we are expecting a response from the Indian Government. If we do not receive a favourable response soon we will write again to the Indian Government saying that we need a response soon for our petition. If we do not receive a favourable response for that also I am ready to have a protect campaign by taking 5,000 fishermen to the Indian border to draw their attention.

Q: Are you getting enough support from the fishing community for such a protest?

A: The Sri Lankan fishermen, specially the fishermen in the North are affected due to Indian fishermen poaching n Sri Lanka territorial waters. Our fishermen have to face numerous difficulties due to this situation and their livelihood has been badly affected due to this. Our aim is to provide them a better livelihood by removing all these obstacles. Therefore all these fishermen are supportive of such protest as they really wanted to improve the quality of their lives.

Q: You had discussions with the Indian Parliament delegation during their visit to Sri Lanka. What was their opinion about Sri Lanka?

A: We were able to explain the real situation to the Indian Parliament delegation during their visit to Sri Lanka. They readily accept the political stance of the Government to resolve the ethnic problem in the country.

Q: The former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has recently spoken in favour of establishing Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. What is your opinion about his view?

A: That is his politics. From time to time they used to make such statements.

Q: There was a plan to hold Provincial Council elections in the North. Is there any new development with regard to the holding of elections for the Northern Provincial Council?

A: There are plans to hold the elections for the Northern Provincial Council. It may be held by the end of this year. Once a proper idea about the number of the voters in the North to the Elections Commissioner there is a possibility of holding elections very soon.

Q: The Government has time to time indicated that it is ready to go beyond the 13th amendment to the Constitution when resolving the ethnic problem in the country. But at present even the 13 th amendment is not implemented properly. What is your opinion on this issue?

A: The 13th amendment to the Constitution is being implemented in the other parts of the country. But the problem in the North is different from the other Provinces of the country. The powers needed for the Northern Provincial Council may not be required for the other provincial councils. Therefore, the other provincial councils are not interested in taking those powers. But those powers are required for the Northern Provincial Council. That is why we are making an attempt to get those powers to the Northern Provincial Council. We are of the opinion that this issue can be discussed extensively at the Parliament Select Committee to reach a consensus regarding the powers vested to the respective Provincial Council.

Q: But there is perception that this Parliament Select Committee will also fail to find an amicable solution to the ethnic problem and will end up without reaching its set target?

A: There are huge differences between the earlier discussions held among political parties to find a solution to the ethnic problem and this Parliament Select Committee. The objective of the Parliament Select Committee is very clearly stated in it. The most important factor is that it has very clearly stipulated the time factor of the Parliament Select Committee. In the earlier occasion a stipulated timeframe was not given for those committees to complete their mission. The third and most important factor is that the LTTE is no longer there. The LTTE used to continue discussion and withdraw from discussions and resort to violent activities. Such a situation no longer exists. Therefore, we have a firm belief that we will be able to find a proper solution to the ethnic problem through this Parliament Select Committee.

Q: Three years have already elapsed after the end of the war. Do you think that Tamil people have been able to regain what they have been deprived for the past few decades and if not, is there any plan from your side to win those rights for the Tamil people?

A: The Tamil people are in the process of regaining what they have been deprived of in the past. I am satisfied with the progress we have achieved within the past three years. There are things that are yet to come their way.

The political solution for their grievances, economic development, social opportunities are some of them. Some people are yet to be resettled in their villages. But we believe that as time goes, we will be able to regain those things.