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Sumanthiran asks whether sovereignty only for the majority, if so then minorities will find their own
By Saman Indrajith
TNA Jaffna District MP MA Sumanthiran says that if the government believes that sovereignty of this country is only for the majority then the minorities will be compelled to seek their own.
Participating in the third reading debate on Wednesday, MP Sumanthiran said: “Sovereignty of a country is for all people. If the majority only enjoys sovereignty, then you are leaving the other people out. You are forcing them to claim their own sovereignty. That will be your own doing.
“The Foreign Minister at the start of his speech wanted to teach a lesson to Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella and said that India was a federal nation because it had princely states previously and all those states had to be brought together. I want to ask him of the history of this island. When the Europeans arrived and conquered this island, was there one state here? Was there one kingdom on this island then? No. There were three kingdoms on this island. All of them fell for Western powers at different times. It was only in 1833, consequent to Colebrook-Cameron report, for administrative convenience, that it was made one country. So, you must remember when you are giving lessons on how India became a union or the United States of America had different states coming together remember the history of this country as well. This country consists of different people who each have different rights under the international law. Violation of an international law is not a domestic matter. You cannot hide behind the cloak of state sovereignty. There is nothing called state sovereignty. Sovereignty is enjoyed by people. You cannot hide behind the concept of sovereignty and violate international law and claim that these are domestic matters. You know that very well. Fashioning the country’s foreign policy you have now gone on reverse gear, you put the country at peril. It is our duty to call you to turn around. Promoting accountability and reconciliation is not a matter that violates sovereignty of any country.
“This is the month of November and it is considered the time to remember the dead. That is why poppy flowers are sold all over the world. In Sri Lanka, the people in the north remember their family members who died in the war. Not allowing people in the North to remember their dead kith and kin is an undignified act by the state. Honouring the dead, remembering the dead is in our culture a solemn affair. The other day I stood with a mother 83 years old. She has only a shack for a house. Her son died in 1985. She lit a lamp in his memory. I participated in that event. It was a solemn occasion. Why are you so worried, why are you so scared of the dead? Is it because you put them to death in the most brutal manner violating all the international norms.”
In line with the forthcoming 75th Army Anniversary (10 October) a solemn ceremony was held on 7th October 2024 at the Battaramulla War Heroes’ Monument (Ranaviru Smarakaya) to pay tribute to the heroic sacrifices of the nation’s fallen War Heroes.
The Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu, presided over the ceremony as the Chief Guest, lending a significant sense of respect and prominence to the occasion. The event commenced with singing the National Anthem, followed by a two-minute silence observed in honour of the nation’s fallen patriots.
Thereafter, the Chief Guest, accompanied by several Senior Officers and Colonels of all regiments of the Sri Lanka Army laid floral wreaths and saluted paying a solemn tribute to the fallen War Heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for the sovereignty of the nation.
Former MPs not entitled to police protection
By Rathindra Kuruwita
There are laws and regualations stipulating the level of security to be provided to Presidents, former Presidents, Ministers, and MPs, but in the past they were given more security, Cabinet spokesman, Minister Vijitha Herath has said.
“According to the law, a person is not entitled to police protection after ceasing to be an MP. But previous governments allowed former MPs to retain their security in violation of laws and regulations,” Minister Herath said yesterday.
“In the future, intelligence services will conduct a threat assessment, and special security will be provided only to those facing security threats, Minister Herath said, stressing that elected representatives should be treated equally.
“The Ministry of Defence has also requested VIPs to return the weapons and ammunition issued to them. This does not mean the Ministry will retain these weapons indefinitely; they will be returned after a thorough assessment of threats and proper documentation,” he added .
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Sri Lanka had authorised a Chinese military training vessel to arrive, Cabinet Spokesman, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said yesterday.
Herath said the Chinese vessel was no threat to anyone’s national security and Indian, German and US warships had docked in Sri Lankan ports.
Asked by a journalist whether there would be a change in Sri Lanka’s foreign policy, Herath said that the NPP treated every country equally.
“We will not treat anyone more favourably than others. This is the basis of the non-aligned policy,” he said, noting that they had no problem with any country supporting Sri Lanka in a way that does not harm the country’s national interests.
Herath said that a senior US military official would visit Sri Lanka on Thursday (10) and the US was to present a naval vessel to the Sri Lanka Navy.
“National interest is our priority and based on that we will engage with everyone,” he said.
Herath added that they had prepared a list of relatives, and associates of politicians who had been appointed to various Sri Lankan missions. The list would be published soon, he said.
Sri Lanka Army pays tribute to fallen War Heroes
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