'Sri Lankans now enjoying peace dividend'
A statement was made in Parliament by Don Randall, Federal
Parliamentarian and Chair of the Australia - Sri Lanka Parliamentary
Group on December 3, 2014 where he criticised Senator Lee Rhiannon of
the Green Party and spoke on Sri Lanka.
Mr Randall: It is shocking and outrageous that Senator Lee Rhiannon
of the Greens made a statement in this parliament on November 26, 2014
which demonstrates that one of the senators of this parliament
commemorated the brutal terrorist leader Prabhakaran, who not only
killed innocent civilians but killed democratically elected politicians
in Sri Lanka.
As the members of this parliament are aware, the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam commemorate the birthday of the leader of the LTTE,
Prabhakaran, to coincide with Martyrs Day on November 27 each year. This
is being celebrated by the LTTE supporters, who are continuing to
promote separatism and radicalism in Sri Lanka after the defeat of the
LTTE militarily more than five years ago.
Sri Lanka fought a brutal, horrific, savage and barbaric LTTE outfit
for over three decades, at huge human and material cost. The LTTE
terrorists utilised innocent children for their cause as child soldiers
and introduced cyanide capsules and suicide bombing to the world, using
men, women and children to destroy economic, commercial, religious and
public facilities.
During the period of 30 years of conflict, the LTTE killed a number
of democratically elected Sri Lankan leaders - including one President,
seven cabinet ministers, 37 members of parliament, one presidential
candidate, 10 political party leaders and the former foreign minister
Lakshman Kadirgamar - and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
They used 300,000 innocent civilians as human shields for military
advantage, preventing them from escaping to safe areas. It is also known
that they used heavy weapons to brutalise and to terrorise during the
move to divide Sri Lanka, challenging the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Sri Lanka.
They also killed over 12,000 innocent civilians, killed 1,200 and
wounded 2,500 Indian peacekeeping forces, and killed 27,000 and wounded
87,000 Sri Lankan military police. In 1990, 600 surrendered policeman
were brutally murdered in the east of Sri Lanka by the LTTE.
As we witness how the world is shocked by the atrocities of ISIS,
while we condemn its brutal terrorist leaders, some Australian
parliamentarians are commemorating terrorist leaders, which is shocking
and a clear display of double standards. Under the circumstances I urge
Senator Lee Rhiannon to make a public apology regarding her disgraceful
and dishonest statement on Sri Lanka in this parliament. That is just
untenable when, in the post - conflict era, Sri Lanka is positively
progressing and people are enjoying a dividend of peace.
The statement made by Senator Lee Rhiannon is unacceptable as she is
supporting the LTTE while castigating the democratically elected
President of Sri Lanka, which clearly creates disharmony and division
amongst Sri Lankans in a peaceful Sri Lanka.
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