Implementing urgent issues such as resettling the war displaced, giving assistance to begin their lives again, giving back their lands, releasing political prisoners, solving issues of the disappeared, establishing civil administration and establishing democracy and good governance need not have recommendations of a commission states the JVP.
It states the Commission has completely disregarded the important factors such as the manner governments that came to power acted during the 30 year old separatist struggle, the moves of the separatist movement, the intervention in the national question in Sri Lanka by imperialism and the neighbouring India.
Statement in full: / Media statement
The government presented the report of the ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation’ (LLRC) to Parliament on the 16th as a result of escalating external pressure. The President appointed this commission not with a genuine intention of studying the occurrences that occurred during the 30 year old separatist war or the socio- economic-political reasons that effected the separatist struggle in Sri Lanka and finding solutions for the issues but to evade the accusations and pressure that were aimed towards the government at the end of the war.
The commission, instead of finding out reasons for the emergence of a national question and a separatist struggle, merely inquired into a few incidents that occurred between 21st February, 2002 and 19th May, 2009 in the history of the separatist thirty year old war. The limitations of the commission itself portray its ineffectiveness. Completely disregarding the important factors such as the manner governments that came to power acted during the 30 year old separatist struggle, the moves of the separatist movement, the intervention in the national question in Sri Lanka by imperialism and the neighbouring India and limiting the powers of this commission for several incidents that occurred during a few years indicate the move to appoint the Commission is merely to evade the issue and to ‘spend the day’ avoiding international opposition to the President and eh government.
On the other hand issues cropped up during the functioning of the commission. It has been reported that many who came forward to give evidence were not able to do so and those who were able to did not have enough time to do so. This too indicates the commission did not function with a broad objective or responsibility.
In such circumstances discussing certain points in the report of the commission or reviewing them is fruitless. The government’s act of arbitrarily avoiding the most needed tasks that had to be immediately carried out after the end of the war indicates the decision taken by the President and the government to appoint such a commission is not an honest attempt to solve the issue in the North. The government has deliberately avoided solving issues confronted by the masses in the North and the East.
Implementing urgent issues such as resettling the war displaced, giving assistance to begin their lives again, giving back their lands, releasing political prisoners, solving issues of the disappeared, establishing civil administration and establishing democracy and good governance need not have recommendations of a commission. It should also be mentioned that the JVP mediated in presenting a list of proposals as soon as the war was over which the government completely ignored.
Finally, it should be stated that the commission was not established to find solutions for the national question that still exists even after a thirty year war, or learn any lessons, or to establish national unity or consensus but one that was appointed to evade the issue confronted by the President and the government. As in other instances this is a waste of public money and time. It yet again indicates that governments that have ruled and also the present government have no intention or ability to solve or even take a step towards solving the national question under the capitalist system nor would they ever comprehend the question correctly.
Political Bureau,
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.
18.12.2011
LT