Video: JHU walks out of PSC

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) today walked out of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) sessions accusing it of having failed to scrap what the party described as ‘separatist provisions’ in the Constitution before the Northern polls.

The PSC was constituted to seek proposals to change the 13th Amendments to the Constitution.

JHU General Secretary and Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka walked out of the PSC sessions saying the delay to do away with the provisions on the merger had left room for the ‘Eelamists’ to secede in case of a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) victory.

The minister pointed out that a dangerous precedent had set by the TNA by coming up with a ‘separatist, Eelamist manifesto’ for the election to the Northern Provincial Council and cautioned that unless the PSC moved safeguards there’s strong risk of a separatist war breaking out in the country once again.

He reminded the PSC that the JHU joined the parliamentary committee on August 6 on condition that it would continue its participation only if the PSC moved to scrap the two ‘obnoxious and separatist’ provisions.

The minister told a news conference: “The TNA election manifesto paves the way for a Tamil Eelam and has called Tamil citizens to Nadikadal again. The TNA has waged the next Eelam war through this manifesto. It has turned terrorism into heroism in this manifesto and taken steps to take forward its fight for a separate Tamil Eelam while justifying Velupillai Prabhakaran’s terrorism. We will not allow Sri Lanka to be divided through this election. And we also urge the United National Party (UNP) to stop the ‘traitorous acts’ it is committing by being in accord with the TNA.”

He said the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) would turn into a United Nations (UN) observation centre. The minister said the number of the war dead handed over to UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay were false.

Meanwhile JHU provincial councilor Udaya Gammanpila said if the PSC does not present its interim by today, it would not be possible for the PSC to implement any of the amendments they had asked for before September 21.   

“We cannot contribute to this national disaster. That is why we resigned from the PSC. The innocent-separatism of Chelvanayakam and the terrorist separatism of Prabhakaran are repeated in the TNA manifesto as international separatism. In that manifesto it has clearly described the North and East as the Tamil Eelam homeland and the historical homeland of the Tamil people. That manifesto is filled with contradictions. Whoever stands by the TNA manifesto is an enemy and a traitor to the country as that manifesto is attempting to kill once again the 26,000 who died in the war,” he said.

The provincial councillor asked whether the UNP was in accord with the TNA concerning the common Opposition Agitation (Vipakshaye Virodaya) and said it should make its stance known on this matter.

“The TNA manifesto is also the first manifesto in world history which has not targeted voters. Nowhere in this manifesto have they stated how they can improve the lives of Tamil citizens. Instead they have targeted the international community,” he said. (Jayashika Padmasiri)
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Video by Indika Sri Aravinda