Government dealings are always transparent - Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

A one-time senior lawyer who had a lucrative practice in the Colombo courts for years, the Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva joined the SLFP at a crucial period when it was undergoing political vicissitudes. He was the first ever Asian to be elected President of the World Health Assembly and Chairman of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation when he was Sri Lanka's Health Minister. To his credit, he never performed political somersaults but remained overtly loyal to his political ideology. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the Government is very transparent in everything it does and it has nothing to hide. The Government is happy that within a short span after the terrorism was eradicated it has done much in resettlement and reconciliation and whatever is left out would be done soon.

The Minister said the Government invited UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navaneetham Pillay to see for herself the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, the vast development programs launched in the North and the East and the resettlement scheme implemented in the North.” However she is making statements in Geneva without coming here. This clearly shows, how biased they are”, he said. All Commonwealth parliamentarians who came to Sri Lanka to attend the recent Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference flew to Jaffna and Kilinochchi. The Government permitted them to go all over the country and gather information without any restriction. In fact they saw for themselves the ground situation in Sri Lanka.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: Would you comment on the latest British Channel 4 theatrics which coincides with the ongoing Human Rights sessions in Geneva?

A: We had said from the beginning that there is a conspiracy against Sri Lanka in the international arena. Earlier too they had brought this Channel 4 drama to coincide with the previous UNHRC meetings. They had side-meetings in the UNHRC where I was also present. We had some experts flown from here to Geneva and explained that these are creations by the LTTE upfront organisations and there is no truth in them.

Then that issue was over and nobody spoke about Channel 4 for the last one year. Now they have created another video. We believe it is a mere creation and not an exact happening. Today, in the present world, people can create many things with the help of cameras, photos and technology. Sometimes when people see them, they believe them it. These emotional pictures being shown, are not real and are mere creations.

The Armed Forces have vehemently objected to the visuals. They categorically deny such incidents occurred during the last few days of the war against terrorists. It confirms the magnitude of the international conspiracy against Sri Lanka and the Rajapaksa Government.

Q: Is there a sinister agenda behind the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe's recent 'Sathyagraha' in Jaffna urging the Government to vacate High Security Zones? Would you elaborate on this?

A: I think the Opposition Leader is trying to gain political mileage. He had gone to Jaffna and staged a 'Sathyagraha'. We have to be mindful of the security of the country and the land which has been liberated from the clutches of terrorists. We have to ensure that peace is preserved and the seeds of terrorism are not germinated again on the Jaffna soil.

To protect the liberated land from further terrorist spells, we need a very close monitoring of the area. Therefore, the Security Forces need some lands for their presence there. I made a statement in Parliament recently with regard to the issue and I categorically said in the case of private lands, we would pay compensation. In the case of Government lands, it is the right of the Government to use it for a purpose which the Government needs. Many people have forgotten the fact that the government has resettled thousands of families in the North with better living conditions.

Q: Minor incidents affecting inter-religious harmony are mere isolated cases confined to one place or the other. Is the Opposition trying to blow them out of proportion and create chaos?

A: I appealed to the Opposition Leader in Parliament not to inflate the situation. We have to ensure that these situations are defused because they are mere isolated incidents created by some unruly elements which we don't condone whether they stem from the Buddhists, Muslims, Christians or Hindus. If any of them are engaged in extremist activities, we are not condoning them. From whatever quarter it comes, it is wrong and we have to defuse the tension soon. We have to take rational decisions. If we become emotional in the issues, it will not produce any long-term good results. Emotion is sometimes resorted to, to catch votes from here and there. Emotions may work, but the ultimate danger it causes will be great.

Q: The Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a recent seminar held at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute said it would be prudent for the Western world to see for themselves the mega development launched by the Sri Lankan Government in the North and the East without simply depending on the sinister disinformation campaign of INGOs, NGOs and interested parties. What is your comment?

A: It was the policy of the Government. We invited the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navaneetham Pillay to see for herself the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, the vast development programs launched in the North and the East and the resettlement program. But she is merely making statements in Geneva without coming here. It clearly shows, how biased they are. We have invited the American, British, French and German people to see for themselves the significant development in the country. All Commonwealth Parliamentarians who came to Sri Lanka to attend the recent Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) conference flew to Jaffna and Kilinochchi. We permitted them to go all over the country and gather information without any restriction. This Government has nothing to hide. We are transparent in all our dealings. We are happy that within a very short period after eradicating terrorism, we have done a great deal of work in the context of resettlement and reconciliation and whatever is left will be completed in due course.

Q: CHOGM augurs well for the country. Why have certain countries invoked the bogey of human rights to scuttle this event of common interest?

A: I think it is part of the international conspiracy. We had the CPA conference in Sri Lanka recently. Nearly 700 to 800 Parliamentarians from Commonwealth countries attended. They were happy with the arrangements and the prevailing situation in the country. They saw for themselves the ground situation. So why not CHOGM be held in Sri Lanka? The CPA conference was represented by all Commonwealth countries and the Speakers of their Parliaments. If the Speakers could come, why can't the Leaders come for CHOGM?

Q: There are countries which have openly violated the UN charter, human rights and territorial integrity of other nations, but escaped without being hauled up before the UNHRC. Why is this discrimination only against third world developing countries?

A: The general perception is that today the UNHRC has become a highly politicised body, because various political forces are playing a greater role there. They are politically divided. If they want to punish a country politically, they get together. We don't see UNHRC as an independent organisation which takes into account the true facts and circumstances in arriving at a decision. When they vote, the whole European community vote as a block. There may be differences of opinion within the European community as well. However, they have no say. This is how the UNHRC is structured and how they vote. Therefore, we can't accept the verdict of the UNHRC, because mostly it's a political decision. Human rights violations in Iraq and Afghanistan and in most of the developed countries, are simply ignored and they don't dare to bring resolutions against those countries. Other countries are being influenced by these strong countries.

Q: One cannot understand the logic of the countries guilty of serious human rights violations pontificating on human rights to others. Why can't Third World countries mobilise their strength in fighting this gross injustice at the UN forum?

A: Of course there are non-aligned countries. But most developed countries are aligned with economic ties. So it is very difficult for third world countries to emerge. Fortunately we have China and India in the Asian region which are emerging as economic giants. A time will come when we can defeat these Western powers. So it all depends on the economy, trade and technology. We were behind most of the European countries in technology several decades ago. But now Asia is becoming a giant in technology and economic development. This change is now taking place.

Q: India's Janatha Party Leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy, an eminent scholar has spoken of a positive outcome for Sri Lanka at the UNHRC presumably after eliminating the LTTE. In the light of this, what would be India's attitude towards Sri Lanka this time?

A: We know India's attitude. According to reports it is not positive towards Sri Lanka. That is also political, we have to understand the problem the Indian Government is facing. At present the Congress Party enjoys no majority within the Government. Hence it has to depend on many of its allies from Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country.

Their decision is very much influenced by small regional parties and their MPs. So the main Indian Government has a problem. We have to understand it. Sometimes they won't come and support Sri Lanka and thereafter see that the Government is fallen. First we have to survive politically. Therefore, this problem is there. I think Sri Lanka and India have to understand each other.

Q: People are utterly helpless when 'accidents' such as the death of a child at a private hospital and law student Achala's amputation due to the alleged medical negligence occur. What is the course of action open to the victims? What action could be taken to check them?

A:When I was the Health Minister, I brought the Private Medical Institutions Act to ensure a quality service to the people and also to ensure that patients are not exploited. I should say that various forces in the country including some medical professionals did not allow me to implement this act. That is an unfortunate situation. When I tried to frame regulations the GMOA objected to some of the regulations. If the regulations and the Act had been properly implemented and the doctors doing private practice were registered under the Private Medical Institution Act, there would have been a better health care and less negligence.

Q: It is reported that over 150 garment factories have been closed by now and speculation is rife that the Government will negotiate for the resumption of the GSP facility. Could you enlighten us on this?

A: The GSP facility was there earlier and it was later withdrawn, but still garment factories in Sri Lanka are doing very well. We have to compete with other countries. Our garment industry is mature enough to enter the competitive market and compete with others from different parts of the world and continue to engage in the industry. I don't think that's a problem.

Q: The UNP has already tabled a No-Confidence motion against Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera due to the failure to save Rizana. Would you comment on this?

A: I think this is now history, Minister Dilan Perera explained in Parliament the steps taken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Minister himself and the Government to save Rizana. An Indonesian maid was killed in Saudi Arabia. Both are Muslim countries. When it comes to the Sharia law, they are not bothered whether one is a Buddhist or Hindu.

They enforce the law. There may be certain flaws in their legal system itself which we think are cruel and inhuman. It is the law of the land. So what can we do about it? We can't change the laws of Saudi Arabia. We can't change the Sharia law.

A large amount of blood money was offered by Minister Dilan Perera and the Foreign Employment Bureau to save Rizana's life. According to information, even the Saudi King himself tried to persuade the father and mother of the dead child to accept the blood money and release Rizana. They were so adamant that they didn't accept the money. So how can the UNP put the blame on Minister Dilan Perera or the Foreign Employment Bureau for that? This is cheap political publicity which the Opposition is looking for. I think mature and right thinking people of the country will vehemently reject this attitude. As the Leader of the House, I will ensure that we would defeat this No Confidence motion with a large majority.

Q: You have completed 30 years in Sri Lankan politics. Would you like to retrace the ups and downs of your political odyssey?

A: There had been ups and downs of my political life. Through hard work, I started my political career as Opposition Leader of the Colombo Municipal Council on May 18, 1983. In the 1989 General Election, I was elected to Parliament having secured 38,000 votes from the Colombo district. I have held important ministerial portfolios and it was my destiny that gave me the opportunity to serve the people. I brought honour to Sri Lanka as the first Asian to be the President of the World Health Assembly and the Chairman of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation. I am quite content with my political career. I was also the Chief Peace Negotiator at the Peace Talks with the LTTE. President Rajapaksa has extended his fullest support and cooperation and appointed me as the Leader of the House. I am grateful to the President and happy that I have served the Badulla district, especially Uva-Wellassa where our ancestors had suffered repression. I would help support those people and the country as well. When I was the Health Minister, I developed the country's health sector and raised the Health Index of Sri Lanka.