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| Sunday, 23 March 2003 |
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Senior Parliamentarians express their views on Gulf War War is not an ultimate solution to any crisis by P. Krishnaswamy and Deepal Warnakulasuriya Parliamentarians representing various political parties have warned that the on-going battle in the Gulf would further aggravate the economic conditions of developing countries. They are of the view that this unfortunate conflict between the United States of America and Iraq could have been averted through diplomatic measures. However now with the beginning of the war, the political circle in Sri Lanka insist that the lives and properties of the innocent civilians in Iraq should be protected and the international community should concentrate more towards expediting the measures to put an end to the war as early as possible. Here Government ministers, and members of the opposition parties express their views on the battle in Iraq. Senior parliamentarians representing different political parties told the Sunday Observer that war is not an ultimate solution to any crisis and that it was an 'unfortunate situation' for a developing country like ours which is now trying to recover from its economic constraints of the past. The nations involved should take recourse to other peaceful measures to resolve problems, they said. Excerpts of their views are reproduced below: Any form of destruction on int'l level affects third world countries - Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Prof. Jayalath Jayawardena MP: Any form of destruction on an international level would affect third world countries. Our country is now trying to recover from the adverse impacts of the ethnic war. Especially a country like ours which is trying to resolve the two-decade long ethnic crisis and trying to come out of the economic straggle of the past will be much affected. We would also lose the valuable foreign exchange revenue from our expatriate workers in the Middle East. Political parties should unite on a national level to face any adverse consequences of the war, instead of trying to take political mileage. They should think in terms of national welfare. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Chairman and Deputy Minister of Housing Basheer Segu Dawood MP: "We strongly condemn the US attack on Iraq which will cause destruction of lives and properties of innocent people. The US and her allies have not given heed to the views of the international community and the UN. Our country which is much affected already due to internal war will encounter further economic downfalls due to this war. If our expatriate workers in the Middle East happen to return, that too will tell on our economy. It is unfortunate that the US which should work for world peace has resorted to war. The UN should intervene to end the war. Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) parliamentarian and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Muthu Sivalingam: "Mighty nations are now at war with a much weaker nation. This is not right. Innocent people of both the nations involved in the war and other nations of the region will be affected as a result of this war. Instead of taking recourse to war, the nations concerned should try to resolve their problems through negotiations. Fuel prices will go up and we in Sri Lanka will be affected very much. Especially, the poverty-stricken people of the plantations, whose agricultural produce are virtually nil, will be affected to a great extent. But one solace is that both India and Malaysia have assured us of fuel supplies during the war. Let us hope and pray that the war will end soon. Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Senior Vice President Joseph Pararajasingham MP: The war will affect us economically. It will also badly affect many of the South Asian countries. War is not a solution to any problems, even of global dimensions. They have to be resolved through other peaceful means. Sri Lanka which went through a 15 year long war has now returned to the peace process. Peace is prevailing in the country and there are much expectations including monetary assistance from the international community for development activities in the war affected areas. Our ardent wish is that the outbreak of war in Iraq should not jeopardize our peace efforts in any manner. Leader of the National Unity Alliance (NUA) Ms Ferial Ashraff MP: "We strongly condemn this action of the US. It is not too late even now for the US to reconsider its stand and return to peaceful negotiations instead of fighting such a war in the Southern World." War in Iraq causing great concern and sadness - Dr. Sarath Amunugama People's Alliance Spokesman Dr. Sarath Amunugama commenting on the outbreak of war in Iraq said that it was a matter which is causing great concern and sadness. "A regime change in a country is an internal matter and the PA is not favour of regime changes enforced from outside," he said. He also said that the PA believes that a country must have its own independent foreign policy, in line with the Non-Alligned Movement and that all international actions that were of critical nature should be mediated and should be solved through the United Nations. "At least the US might have considered the issue on humanitarian aspects. However, the PA would have very much liked resolution 1441 of the Security Council to have been followed through leading to a satisfactory solution. That is the stand of international community also," he said. Dr. Amunugama also said that the PA was not happy with the way the government had handled the issue and added that they had completely forgotten the Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East. "So, the PA is very concerned about the Iraqis and they should not be subjected to the ravages of war". The Sihala Urumaya (SU) Leader Thilak Karunaratne described the US attack on Iraq as a war between two fundamentalist factions. He said that one is an islamic fundamentalist and the other is a christian fundamentalist. However, he said that the SU doesn't understand the governing policies of the Iraq President Saddam Hussein. "At the same time, we do not understand or approve the US and the UK behaviour. We condemn the attack as a cultured political party", Karunaratne said. He also said that the UK had become the 'Side Kick' of the World's Policeman; the United State of America. "However, the most important thing, we see is the double-standards of the US and the UK. Why doesn't the US which is trying to destroy Saddam Hussein, identifying him as a terrorist, not see the LTTE Leader as a terrorist?" Karunaratne questioned. "Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna as a party which represents the people, is completely against the US President's dictatorial behaviour on Iraq. He is working not for the global peace but for a world which is filled with the ravages of war. We have already expressed our disapproval of the issue as the JVP and we will also go for other issues as the joint alliance", JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath said. He also said that the US President may have personal goals like being the political supremo in the world or having possession of oil wells in the Middle East. 'If he attacks Iraq to conquer, his wishes being with deaf ears to the UN Security Council, he is no more a civilised politician', Herath said. He further added that they ask the Sri Lankan government to join with the other countries and teach the first lesson of 'humanity' to the US President. |
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