President only leader who could develop country - Minister
Muralitharan
by Shanika SRIYANANDA

Minister of National Integration and Reconciliation
Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan
Pic: Vipula Amarasinghe
|
November 26th was famous for the LTTE’s ‘Mahaveera Day’ speech made
by V. Prabhakaran, who kissed the earth in his last battle last May
putting a full-stop to the 30-year long battle that dragged the Tamils
into the stone age.
His most trust worthy bodyguard and the former military commander now
turned the Minister of National Integration and Reconciliation
Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan said that some ignorant pro-LTTEers would
try to mislead the Tamils by releasing a dubbed speech of Prabhakaran to
say that he was alive.
“I saw his body and that was Prabhakaran. The DNA too has proved that
was his body. But some Tamils still believe that he is alive”, Minister
said.
Minister Muralitharan, who said that his life was ‘devoted’ to get
more Tamils into the SLFP, which is the political party that his
generations belonged to, said Prabhakaran would be the King of Tamils if
he changed his dream and got into the democratic process.
“For any government that comes to power needs the support of Tamils
in the North and the East. So if Prabhakaran was changed, he would be
the most soughtafter man in all the Governments”, he said adding that he
felt sorry for his former leader as he who had hundreds of strong
bodyguards around him, was lying in isolation on the banks of the Nandi
Kandal Lagoon.
* Tamils are now enjoying freedom.
* All SLFPers work hard to strengthen the Government.
* Request the Tamil Diaspora not to mislead Tamils any more.
* Need to increase number of Tamil politicians in the Parliament.
* Sinhalese and Muslims have a right to buy lands in the North and
the East.
* No future for any Alliance.
* Tamils and Muslims maintain small political parties like small
sports clubs.
* Sri Lankan Government launched a rescue mission and a battle
against ruthless terrorists.
* The LTTE at the last stages did more harm to the civilians and put
the blame on government. |
Following are the excerpts of the interviews:
Q: Just five months ago the military had defeated the LTTE
completely. How do you see the post-LTTE period?
A: After three decades, the country is back to normal and people are
happy after Prabhakaran is gone. The biggest problem that we faced was
resettling displaced people but that is too going smoothly as the
Government has accelerated the program. More than 100,000 IDPs have
already been resettled.
Before the end of January next year all IDPs will be resettled in
their own areas. Other development activities too are going on well. New
roads and bridges have come up.
The Eastern region is getting better and we try to promote tourism to
generate income and employment. Lots of investors have already come
forward to invest in the tourism sector. The situation in the North is
too getting better. The situation in the North is too becoming normal. I
strongly hope that within next two years the entire North and East will
have a prosperous time.
Q: But the LTTE is not completely gone and the remnants are still
haunting. What do you think about the LTTE sympathizers abroad and can
they be active like earlier?
A: No, it is very difficult for the LTTE to raise its head. Gradually
the pro-LTTEers abroad have also changed because they have realized the
situation here and the damage caused by the LTTE to the Tamils. Only few
are still voicing for the LTTE. The best example is the Tamil Nadu
delegation.
Before coming here they always talked against the Government and
promoted the LTTE’s separate country idea for Tamils. Especially Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi’s daughter MP Kanimoshi stood by this
idea and said that the only solution was a separate country for Tamils.
After they visited the IDP camps and saw the reality they have
completely changed their opinions.
I also have had regular discussions with Tamil Diaspora in USA and
London and now they have completely different views. They no longer
support the LTTE. They are willing to join hands with the Government to
work for the Tamils. There is a very positive support from them.
Q: V. Rudrakumar was one of the participants with you during the
peace talks between the Government and LTTE. How do you see his arrival
as the LTTE’s latest figure to lead the outfit?
A: He is a lawyer and the only man trying to create problems abroad.
He tries to declare his imaginary Trans-national government. They claim
that they are going to have elections to get the Tamils’ opinion about
this. But it’s not possible as to declare Trans-national government,
other countries should also agree and support the idea. The outfit needs
to function openly in these countries but no country will accept the
LTTE, which is banned in most of the countries.
My request for the Tamil Diaspora and Rudrakumar is that we, Tamils,
suffered for over 30-years and need to come out of the agony. What I can
tell Rudrakumar is that Tamils were misled by the LTTE and other
politicians but they are well aware of the past. Now on one can mislead
Tamils. I know the pulse of the Northern people.
I have also requested the Tamil National Alliance politicians not to
raise racism because the country’s situation has come to normal and we
need to maintain it. Now the country has peace under the good leadership
of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Tamils can have hopes for a better
future under his leadership.
Q: Many former LTTE cadres had joined with you when you broke away
with the LTTE. Now the Government is saddled with over 10,000 ex-LTTEers
who are undergoing rehabilitation. To what extent are those from the
Eastern province leading normal lives?
A: The Government had introduced good plans to rehabilitate them.
Today they are doing well and leading peaceful lives. These former
cadres are now engaged in farming, cultivation and odd jobs. According
to their educational standard some got good jobs. This is the
cultivation season and people are getting ready for the coming season.
Fishing is going on well. These ex-cadres got more jobs in these sectors
including tourism.
Q: As the Minister do you feel that you have succeeded in the task
given to you?
A: I am happy that I am given this Ministry. Tamils suffered from the
war. Tamils are divided due to internal conflicts among Tamils. So far I
have done lots of things to re-build the relationships among all
communities. I met the religious leaders, community leaders and
politicians and religious organizations to make them united. I think
there is a good outcome of these activities and there is a unity and
better understanding among them than earlier in the East.
The other task is not to have regional politics which is bad for a
small country like us. We should have national politics. There cannot be
any discrimination when they are in national politics. Then these people
will have a national stage to voice their problems.
That is why we are keen in setting up SLFP offices in the North and
East to get more people into national politics.
Q: You said that you are satisfied with the work done to the Eastern
people, but what are the plans for the Northern region, where you have
spent lots of time as a LTTE military commander?
A: I have lots of contacts with Jaffna people. The first thing we
have to do is organizing the SLFP there. Development is going on well. I
think we have to explain these people properly about our future plans.
We have to increase the number of Tamil Parliamentarians from the North
to represent the ruling political party. Then only we can develop the
region.
I have requested the TNA Parliamentarians to support the President.
Some agreed. The Opposition is trying to select a common candidate, but
what I can say is that when there is a new leader the development and
the good work done by this government will be wasted and will be at a
standstill. I do not believe in these proposed common candidates and
they cannot win also as all the SLFPers are working hard to strengthen
the hands of the President.
Q: There is a talk going on that you are building a manson in Jaffna.
Is it true?
A: No. It’s a rumour. So far I do not have any house in Sri Lanka. We
are going to open our SLFP office. It is not a big house. I do not want
to live in a palace.
Q: The Government boasts about a successful resettlement program in
the Eastern Province. Do you mean to say that all IDPs are back in their
own habitats?
A: Yes, I am proud about the resettlement process in the Eastern
province as it is 100 percent successfully completed. There are new
roads and bridges.
For the first time in the history of the Eastern region people are
getting carpet roads. The country’s longest bridge - the Kinniya Bridge
- is in the Eastern Province. The biggest school in Batticoloa was
opened recently by the President. The infrastructure facilities are
given to the maximum.
The only issue is the unemployment problem. There are 1,200 graduates
in the Eastern Province. We had discussions with the Education Minister
and the Governor on this issue and they will be recruited as teachers
very soon.
There are some IDP camps in Muttur but they need to be relocated.
Other than these 6,000 IDPs, all IDPs in the Eastern province are
resettled and have started their own livelihood activities.
Q: The TNA has accused the Government for attempting to grab lands
that belong to Tamils to create Sinhala villages in the Northern region.
What do you have to say about this allegation ?
A: No such thing is taking place. All these are lies by the
interested parties. Whether Sinhalese or Muslims, those, who have
original deeds, should get their land. Sinhalese people have a right to
buy lands in the North and the East if they can pay money. How many
Tamils live in other parts of the country and no Sinhalese person oppose
Tamils buying lands or buildings.
This is how the interested parties are trying to create racism among
Tamils. I invited some top Sinhalese businessmen to come and buy lands
in the North and the East. They can assist to develop the regions by
investing more there.
I do not think that the TNA can mislead people by spreading these
rumours as Tamils are more aware of these lies now. The politicians with
the party also have realized this. I had talks with them and invited
them to join the Government. Over 75 percent like to join the Government
because they know that they have no future otherwise. They can not
promote racism in future as Tamils want to live together with other
communities.
Q: But the Tamils are to form an Alliance to face the coming
elections and what is your comment about this intended alliance?
A: There is no future for any Alliance. There are more than 15 Tamil
and Muslim political parties in Sri Lanka and they never like to work in
unity.
They try to compete with one another to capture power. They are
divided and will never work together. All these Alliances are failures.
But, if they can join together, they can do a good impact but the issue
is that they will never hold hands together as they have separate
agendas. Some political parties want to maintain their image and do not
want to work for the Tamils. They maintain small political parties like
small sports clubs.
Some political parties, which have realized the truth and their fate,
have already pledged their support for the Government but I asked them
to join the Government fully to become pure SLFPers.
Q: You formed the TMVP but now you call yourself as a ‘pure SLFPer’.
What made you to wear full blue?
A: Normally Batticoloa people are SLFPers and my whole generation are
SLFPers. That is the first reason for me to join the SLFP but the main
reason was when I broke away from the LTTE, I formed the TMVP temporary
but later I realized that regional politics can not achieve any thing.
Then I realized this truth and joined the SLFP to extend my fullest
support to the President. Now I am one of the Vice Presidents of the
SLFP.
Q: The pro-LTTEers are still active and what are their possibilities
of carrying out arms smuggling?
A: With the arrest of KP, this net work is completely destroyed.
Earlier they used to get weapons from Ukraine but not from China. One of
the media has mis-quoted me saying that the LTTE brought arms from
China. This is totally wrong and those weapons were Chinese made but not
given by Chinese Government. I know that the LTTE brought weapons from
Ukraine illegal arms dealers. I can confirm this 100 percent.
I am sure that still the LTTE shipping net work is active but can not
prove that those ships belong to the LTTE as they are registered under
different names. According to their country laws, these ships are in
their business and can not say they engage in illegal activities.
Q: What do you know about Raj Rajaratnam, who is now arrested in the
USA?
A: I know he financially supported the LTTE earlier.
Q: Some try to frame charges war crimes against the Government. You
were a military commander and were once a close associate of Prabhakaran,
who had committed serious crimes against humanity. What do you have to
say about these charges as a former commander of the LTTE?
A: No point USA trying to blame Sri Lanka for war crimes and they can
not do anything against Sri Lanka, because the Sri Lankan Government had
a rescue operation not a war.
The most important thing is we have finished the war and brought
peace. Tamils are now enjoying freedom here because the Government swept
out the LTTE here.
Especially in a military operation no one can win without shedding
blood.
The reality in a war is that nothing can be achieved, without
shedding blood. What they should understand is that the Government waged
this war to destroy ruthless terrorists, who terrorized people for over
30 years.
The LTTE at the last stages did more harm to the civilians and put
the blame on government.
When people tried to escape, the LTTE indiscriminately fired at
people killing lots of them. |