At very decisive moments, India has turned their back on us: ANURA DISSANAYAKE

JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayaka spoke to the Daily Mirror on a range of topics including the reports of a leadership change in the JVP, the Northern Provincial Council Elections and means of managing ties with India.


Q. There have been reports that there is going to be a change in the leadership of the JVP, is there any truth to this?
Media people like to create stories about a change in the leadership of the party and our leader Somawansa Amerasinghe, responded to these stories. He expressed that although our political struggle is long-term our lives were not; and therefore a change in leadership could happen at any time. However there has been no discussion within the party about a change in leadership.


Q. The government has claimed that it will in no way comply with the terms of the resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council, do you think the government will hold firm to this stance and if so what will be the consequences? Will the JVP support this decision?
These countries in the UNHRC have an agenda against Sri Lanka and they have utilized the violation of human rights, the persecution of the Tamil people and the deterioration of democracy in this country as tools to further these political agendas. Therefore we in no way accept the interference by these countries in our local affairs.

However regardless of whether it was stipulated in the LLRC report or the Geneva resolution, it is the responsibility of the government to protect democracy in Sri Lanka. It is especially their responsibility to protect the rights of those in the North.

" The government of Sri Lanka needs to adopt a foreign policy that asserts Sri Lanka as a sovereign state that maintains   good relations with all its neighbours. "

The government has not worked towards protecting these freedoms instead they have worked towards consolidating their power by, attacking TNA meetings in the North, burning newspaper offices in the North, having a high military presence in the North, removing the Chief Justice and abolishing the 17th Amendment and replacing it with the 18th Amendment. These are all attempts to protect and further enhance the authority of the government. It is these attempts that are being viewed by the international community as tools to interfere in the internal matters of our country.
Therefore our opposition should be towards the international forces trying to achieve their geo-political aims in Sri Lanka as well as the present government which is providing these forces with a perfect environment in which to carry-out their work.


Q. The opposition has said that India is repeatedly selling us out; in this context what is the JVP’s suggestion for managing relations with India?
We need India to be our strong neighbour, because our economy and culture is strongly tied to India. However the political mechanism and officials within that mechanism do not have any respect for Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, don’t forget that at one time they aided separatism in this country, materially as well as through training and intelligence.

We have also engaged in detrimental economic agreements with India, and there is pressure once again to sign a South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
Therefore we see that India too has used the issues faced by the Tamil people in the North to further their own political agenda, they have done nothing for the Tamil people.
Further at very decisive moments, when we have needed India, they have turned their back on us; at the UN, UNHRC and in the international arena.
Therefore we have an opposition to India, its not with the people of India but the political mechanism and its officials.


Q. You admit that India is important to us, and point out that it works towards our detriment; but what is your solution to managing our bi-lateral relations with them, to ensure they are an ally and nor an adversary?
India is more technically advanced than us, they have bigger markets and a stronger economy—therefore they are important. However India needs to change its foreign policy, because at the moment it is working with the intention of ensuring that all the countries in the South Asian Region are under its political control.
I saw in an interview of President Mahinda Rajapaksa with The Hindu Newspaper. The reporter asks him “you gave the Hambantota Port development project to China?” and the President replies to this by saying “I gave Kankasanthurai to India”. This is the attitude towards foreign policy that the Sri Lankan government has, it thinks that it can sell off elements of our economy to the highest foreign bidder and manage our relations with these countries in this manner.  This is an extremely disturbing foreign policy.

The government of Sri Lanka needs to adopt a foreign policy that asserts Sri Lanka as a sovereign state that maintains   good relations with all its neighbours.
I will give you a good example of this evasive and short-sighted foreign policy of the government, the recent issue of the cricketers. It does not matter whether they were going to India to play cricket, visit a tourist venue or for religious purposes, that is irrelevant. Regardless of what reason they are going there the India government is compelled to provide foreign nationals, especially those coming from a friendly nation, protection. The India government does not promise this protection and the Sri Lankan government neither calls for this protection nor expresses what it will do if this protection is not provided. Instead they ask the cricketers to sign letters. The Cricket Board nor the Ministry of Sports should be blamed or involved in this; this is entirely to do with our foreign relations with India.


Q. The scheduled Northern Provincial Council elections, do you think that there can be a free and fair election in that area—are the conditions conducive for an election?
You may remember that our MP Sunil Hadunnetti was severely injured while campaigning in the North, by an unidentified gang. Despite the fact that a member of Parliament was severely injured, there were no steps to identify the perpetrators. Recently we had discussions with some Tamil youth in Vavuniya, after the discussion was over each and everyone of those young people were threatened. Further we had a discussion with some people in Killinochchi and each of them received a visit from groups, who came knocking on their doors and threatening them. Therefore the JVP cannot carry out political activities in the North.
The TNA has every right to carry out political activities in the North, however they cannot because their rallies are being attacked and their members are being threatened.

Instead of protecting these freedoms of the people in the North the government is carrying out a semi-military rule there. We need to rise up and educate the people against this method of operations of the government.

" I think that there are certain indications that the election will be held this year; from the intimidation of the TNA and the threats to independent newspapers in the area, the President calling the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee, visiting the potato farmers in the area, we feel the election is coming soon. "


Q. You keep claiming that there is a semi-military rule in the North, however the government claims that the military does not get involved in civil activities in the North and are instead there to ensure that any residual militants do not rise up again.
The country has no National Defense Strategy, because if the government did formulate a strategy then they would know to allocate and relocate military units to the areas that most needed it; we don’t have any opposition to a well thought out strategy for national security.
However this is not what the government is doing, the military is getting involved in the civil activities of the area. Who is the Governor of the Northern Province? Who is the Governor of the Eastern Province? These need to be civil appointments not military. Even of there is a funeral in the North you see about five Army people, a concert or a party there are people from the CID present, why is this?


Q. The Elections Commissioner has said that unless the Northern Provincial Council is established, he cannot begin preparations for holding an election there in September.
It is not the Elections Commissioner who is holding up the elections in the Northern Province. The elections have been postponed due to the assumption by the government that there is no free and fair environment in the North to hold these elections.
 The Elections Commissioner can begin his work, only after the government declares the date for the election.


Q. What is the likelihood that the Elections will be held in September this year? How sincere is the promise they have made?
Due to the promises that the government has made at the UNHRC to the international community and repeatedly to India; they have backed themselves into a corner and they cannot avoid the election, however much they might want to.
I think that there are certain indications that the election will be held this year; from the intimidation of the TNA and the threats to independent newspapers in the area, the president calling the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee, visiting the potato farmers in the area  —we feel the election is coming soon.


Q. What are the JVP’s preparations for the elections? There are so many competing factors there does the JVP have a chance?
Yes, we have a very different strategy in the North and it is mostly centred on providing the people of the North the correct kind of information about ourselves, because they have all heard of us through third parties and not directly. We are carrying out the activities necessary for the election.