The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) should work with existing powers before demanding further devolution, Sri Lanka’s Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said on Thursday. The Provincial Council system was established in Sri Lanka in the year 1988 under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. and to date the Sri Lankan government have not implemented the constitution in full as it gives some rights to the minorities, although the minorities are demanding equal rights to all.
“They have not done anything yet, (or we have not allowed them to do anything)” he said, speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a press conference to announce a new bank loan scheme launched by his ministry.
His comments come less than a week after the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which leads the Northern Provincial Council, met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. On the TNA’s visit to New Delhi, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa said: “We knew they were planning to go. Some others, former politicians( Ranil, Chandrika.. ect), also seem to be trying for an appointment, but the TNA got it.”
While the Sri Lankan government was yet to hear about it from the Indian government formally, India had acted “professionally and responsibly as always,” he said. The Sri Lankan government assured India that it will implement more than the current 13th amendment if it was allowed to kill the LTTE in May 2009 hence India and the Western world leaders turned a blind eye and the Sri Lankan forces Killed more than 40,000 Tamil Civilians and more than 1000 LTTE Leaders and their family members who surrendered with white flag after UN negotiated the surrender which a War Crime. Now the Sri Lankan government hasd taken a racist step to stay in power and are refusing even to implement the current constitution in full.
In the meeting with Mr. Modi, the TNA sought India’s help in pressuring the Sri Lankan government to devolve more powers to the provinces as per the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution, which followed the Indo-Sri Lanka accord of 1987. Mr. Modi is said to have reiterated India’s position on the matter, assuring the visiting Tamil leaders that India was committed to engaging with Sri Lanka on the full implementation of the 13th Amendment and “going beyond,” as was promised by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa earlier.
Speaking on the Northern Provincial Council’s role in development projects in the island’s former war zone, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa said the government’s development work in the north had slowed down because of little cooperation from provincial government, pointing to the delay in completion of the railway line to Jaffna. Attributing it to inadequate action by the NPC — clearing squatters and making certain roads available for the project — Mr. Rajapaksa said “We are willing to work with them if they work with us.” The ruling coalition, he said, was privately engaging with certain members within the TNA who were open to working with the government.
But the Government which is associated with Racists parties have refused to give rights to the Minority Tamils since independence from the British since 14th of February 1948. Hence after Tamil political leaders failed the Tamil youth took arms and called them LTTE but was killed by the Sri Lankan forces in May 2009 with the support of India, Pakistan and China. More than 170,000 Tamils have been killed in the conflict.
The Sri Lankan government is determint to NOT to give any rights to the Tamils in Sri Lanka and are taking cover from China and Russia. What will the Western world leaders who helped SL Forces kill the Tamil Civilians do now?