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Wednesday, 4 December 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
“The white van abductions, extrajudicial killings and other serious human right violations, physical and technical suppression of media, culture of impunity for crime and criminals, and the total collapse of the rule of law can be attributed to this Ministry under discussion now. Although Parliamentary convention compels the Chief Opposition Whip to move a cut-off of Rs. 10 at the commencement of this debate, I suggest we move cut-off several billions from this super Ministry that continues to increase the allocations by leaps and bounds despite the end of the war four years ago. It is the most corrupt, wasteful and deadliest ministry under the Rajapaksa regime,” he charged, opening the Committee Stage debate on the ninth allotted day of the Appropriation Bill 2014.
According to MP Samaraweera, the sinister move of the UPFA Government is to change the demography of Colombo town by using some shell companies with manipulated land deals.
“People who are third generation deed holders, mainly the Tamils and Muslims, are evicted from Colombo for the past six years. Armed forces are used for this removal and these people are forced to live in tents for many years. They have filed petitions against the violation of their fundamental rights. Subsequently, these people are given a solemn promise by the Deputy Solicitor General but not given houses. The petitioners who are promised houses were passed from pillar to post and finally was told that they will not be receiving houses as per the instructions given from the top,” he said.
“A two-and-a-half acre railway land in Dematagoda is now favoured by a Carlton Group of Company. So the residents were immediately given the houses, which were promised to the people evicted from Slave Island years ago. Today, the Carlton Network is spreading its tentacles across Sri Lanka, growing out from the humble beginning in a small thatched hut in Hambantota. This is not only deceiving our own people, but a clear violation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. We ratify conventions from one side and then go breaking them. Due to the foresight of then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, we didn’t sign the Rome Convention. But now President has ratified the Rome Convention and other conventions that list the remedies for human right violations and war crime tribunals. The Rajapaksa regime is cynically opening the doors for international intervention,” he said.
In response, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena stated that President Rajapaksa had to take all necessary measure to fight against terrorism and protect the country’s boundaries. “We should be grateful to President Rajapaksa for saving Sri Lanka,” he said, denying the allegations.
