Security of Tamils, critical for reconciliation- Kajendran

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 May 2007, 15:25 GMT]
"Sri Lanka parliament cannot abdicate its responsibility from debating issues related to security of the Tamil people living in the Northeast. My statements Wednesday that generated much controversy were related to Tamils' basic issue of security," Selvarajah Kajendran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Jaffna district, told TamilNet Sunday. Kajendran's statement welcoming the emergence of Tamileelam Air Force (TAF) as a threat-equalizer that can limit the incessant bombing campaigns of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on Northeast Tamils, created an uproar in Sri Lanka parliament Thursday.

"Tamil representatives increasingly face a hostile parliament when raising issues that are fundamental to the safety of our people in Northeast. Where else can Tamil representatives raise the genuine aspirations of the Tamil people and key issues that affect basic rights, the security and human rights?" asked Kajendran.

Speaker of Sri Lanka Parliament, W.J.M.Lokubandara, was verbally abused by parliamentarians from Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), and some members of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) for not being forceful in evicting Kajendran from the Parliament, that the Speaker expressed his disappointment Friday on the conduct of the MPs.

"Some Sinhala MPs are unhappy even with the retrogressive SLFP proposals that define unit of devolution as district councils. Does this mean that Tamil MPs shouldn't raise the futility of the SLFP proposals in the Parliament, as raising so will anger the JVP, JHU MPs?" asked Kajendran.

Pointing out the death threats he had received this week, Kajendran said that Sri Lanka's democracy does not provide even the basic safeguards necessary for the Tamil representatives to live and attend the parliament without fear to their lives.

"The Sinhala political class must understand that the need to ensure security for the Tamil people is indispensable. When the Tamils insist and promote their security, if that is going to be interpreted as promoting separation, then there is no scope even for a dialogue on a solution," Kajendran said.

If the panic created by the Tamil Eelam Air Force in Colombo, has not highlighted the similar but more intense terror suffered by Northeast civilians and children the last 15 years by Kfirs and MiGs over the Northeast skies, and the mere mention of TAF angers the Sinhala politicians, how can one expect a fair and just solution to the ethnic struggle?, the MP asked.

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