Speech made by Mangala Samaraweera M.P.

opening the Committee Stage debate in Parliament on the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development

(Lanka e !ews "#.Dec.$"%#& '.#"PM( Mr. Speaker&

)ltho*gh Parliamentary convention compelled the chief whip to move a c*t of +s.%" at the commencement of this debate& ,e sho*ld& in fact move a c*t of at least several billion r*pees for the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development as the treas*ry allocations for this -s*per- Ministry contin*es to increase ann*ally by leaps and bo*nds despite the end of the war fo*r years ago. .he Ministry has now ac/*ired a rep*tation for being the most corr*pt& wastef*l and the most deadly ministry of this regime. 0n fact& it is the so*rce of many of the -evils- afflicting o*r co*ntry today1 it is a well known secret that the destabilisation and the *ndermining of many of o*r democratic val*es and instit*tions white van abd*ctions and e2tra 3*dicial killings and other serio*s h*man rights violations& the physical as well as the technical s*ppression of the media& the c*lt*re of imp*nity for crime and criminals and the total collapse of the r*le of law

can be attrib*ted to this Ministry *nder disc*ssion now. D*e to the constraints of time& 0 am *nable to deal with many of these iss*es& b*t 0 want to take this opport*nity to inform this ho*se abo*t the insidio*s attempt by this Ministry to change the demography of the city of Colombo while at the same ac/*iring prime property in the heart of Colombo by vario*s -shell- companies held by family members of this regime. )s the 4rishh scandal& where millions of dollars as bribes involving some members of the family has been disc*ssed in this ho*se before& 0 will not take any time to talk abo*t it b*t the plight of the people in the Slave 0sland )rea who have been forcibly evicted by the )rmy on behalf of the UD) with false promises is a glaring e2ample of attempts to change the ethnic demography of Colombo. 0n the g*ise of *rban redevelopment& many families of mainly M*slim and .amil origin in the Colombo M*nicipal area have been evicted from homes many of them third generation deed holders by coercion& threats and false promises *sing the f*ll might of the military who are virt*ally r*nning the UD) now. 0n fact& in $""5& the ho*ses of over #"" residents in 6lenis St. in Slave 0sland were demolished by the army. .hese ho*ses were not shanties and some were act*ally $ or # story ho*ses and many had a history going back to over %"" years. .he residents were intimidated by the army to go to ,eligoda in Mattak*liya to live in temporary shelters for 7 years. .hen in $"%"& %8 ho*ses in Mews St. again predominantly M*slim and .amil were demolished *sing br*te force and th*ggery and many people had to r*n for their lives& even leaving their f*rnit*re and belongings behind. S*bse/*ently M.M.9. +i:miya filed a f*ndamental rights case 9+ #;<=$"%" in S*preme Co*rt against the UD) on behalf of the residents with Mr. >.C. ,eliam*na appearing on behalf of the petitioners. ?n %%th May $"%%& the Dep*ty Solicitor 6eneral 0nforms SC that a decision has been taken to constr*ct a new block of the @aseline +d.& Dematagoda ho*sing scheme for the petitioners and the UD) agreed to give homes there for the petitioners. 0 /*ote from the co*rt proceedings of %%th May $"%%1 ADS6 ( Dep*ty Solicitor 6eneral( for the respondents informs co*rt that he has received instr*ctions that a decision has been taken to constr*ct ho*ses at the new block of the Dematagoda ho*sing schemeA and the LC for the petitions said that A.....in principal they are in agreement of accepting the said ho*ses.A Bowever. ?nce the Mihind*p*ra Bo*sing Scheme was opened& the petitioners were told& in total contempt of the earlier co*rt order that they will not be getting ho*ses in this scheme as earlier promised. 0 /*ote affidavit given to C> on $%. ?ct. $"%#

A#d( ?n in/*iring from the said Prasanna +anaweera as to the allocation of alternative ho*ses from the new ho*sing comple2& to the *tter s*rprise and dismay of the petitioners& we were informed that we wo*ld not be granted alternative accommodation from the said completed ho*sing scheme& as the UD) had received instr*ctions from -higher *p-& not to allocate ho*ses to the petitioners from the !ew Bo*sing Comple2.A ,ho is this -higher *p- who dares to change a co*rt orderC 0n keeping with the regimes sinister plan to settle minority families in the 6reater Colombo area these families have now been told that they will be given ho*ses in @andaranaikep*ra& +a3agiriya& o*tside the M*nicipal limits. Bowever& the -catch- in this tragic story is that these innocent families have been deprived of a ho*se beca*se -higher *ps- had then decided to give the apartments promised to them to $#5 families living in +ailway D*arters in Dematagoda. .hese people did not ask for any alternative accommodation and were /*ite happy to contin*e living in the +ailway /*arters b*t the now *bi/*ito*s -Carlton- gro*p of companies has earmarked the $ .' acre railway land for a special pro3ect . 9rom its h*mble beginnings as a little thatched n*rsery in .angalle& Carlton network is e2tending its tentacles all over the co*ntry. 0nnocent families have been forcibly *prooted from thief ancestral lands beca*se of the limitless greed of one clan to divide prime property in the heart of Colombo amongst themselves. ,hat is happening in the g*ise of *rban development is a clear violation of United !ations Principles and the Universal Declaration of B*man +ights. )ccording to the Eanco*ver plan of action settlement planning section1 )ccordingly& e2isting settlements can be improved witho*t ac/*iring land thro*gh coercion and intimidation& as is happening in Sri Lanka today. 0 /*ote from section @8 0mproving e2isting settlements... A......when improving e2isting settlements& the process m*st respect the rights and aspirations of inhabitants......and preserve the c*lt*ral and social val*es embodied in the e2isting fabric.A 0n fact& these are the principles 0 followed as Minister for Urban Development *nder President 4*marat*nge and the Sahasp*ra flats were b*ilt for the shanty dwellers of ,anatham*lla witho*t dislocating them from the e2isting fabric while preserving the ethnic and c*lt*ral val*es of the area.

Mr. Speaker& ,hile the +a3apakse regime contin*es to violate many of the international agreements we have already ratified over the years& the President in ass*ming his new role as the Chair of the Commonwealth for the ne2t two years& has agreed& according to the comm*ni/*e iss*ed at the concl*sion of CB?6M on %5th !ovember to accelerate efforts towards the ratification of all ma3or h*man rights instr*ments. .he CB?6M $"%# Comm*ni/*e of %5.%%.%# as agreed by Beads of 6overnment in item #7 -...........*rges members to accelerate efforts towards the ratification of all ma3or international h*man rights instr*ments to strengthen the implementation of rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of B*man +ights.)s yo* may be aware& in the area of international h*manitarian law& the +ome Stat*te of the 0nternational Criminal Co*rt has not been ratified in Sri Lanka beca*se PM +anil ,ickramesinghe in $""$& ref*sed to allow Sri Lanka to be a signatory to this stat*te on the basis that Sri Lanka had an independent and credible 3*dicial system to deal with war crimes and other serio*s h*man rights violations& if it were to occ*r in o*r co*ntry. @*t now& at a time when there are e2tremely serio*s allegations of h*man rights allegations levelled against the +a3apakse regime the President has knowingly or *nknowingly agreed to accelerate its ratification along with the1 Convention on the non applicability of stat*tory limitations to war crimes and crimes against h*manity Convention relating to the stat*s of ref*gees Convention relating to the stat*s of Stateless persons )dditional protocols to the 6eneva conventions 0& 00& 000 ?ttawa convention 0n addition to fast tracking these conventions& the CB?6M comm*ni/*e agreed by all its members& in item #<& reiterates its commitment to strengthen f*rther the international h*man rights system in keeping with the Eienna F$" process of the Eienna declaration and programme of action. ?ne of the key recommendations of the Eienna F$" declaration& adopted in Eienna on >*ne $7th this year is the establishment of a ,orld Co*rt of B*man +ights. 0n item 75 of this declaration& it says& -......0n this respect& the Eienna F$" Conference calls on all stakeholders& incl*ding States and Civil society to accelerate disc*ssions with a view to the establishment of a ,orld Co*rt of B*man +ights....,hile the !onis-s and the Monis-s of the world make archaic and irrelevant arg*ments abo*t o*r Sovereignty to the fascination of the chattering classes of Colombo& the +a3apakse regime

is cynically and wilf*lly opening the doors for international scr*tiny in order to win or retain the sympathy of the *ltra nationalist forces with its so called patriotic grandstanding against -foreign interference..hat is why for many of *s who have seen thro*gh the d*plicito*s nat*re of this regime and *nderstood it-s -r*nning with hares and h*nting with the ho*nds- policy& it did not come as a great s*rprise to learn that family members of this regime have been making large contrib*tions to the r*ling Conservative party since $"%% despite the pre Christmas pantomime p*t on by PM Cameron and President +a3apake on behalf of their respective constit*encies d*ring the CB?6M s*mmit two weeks ago. 0n a letter written to PM Cameron by @ritish MP .om @lenkinsop after the s*mmit in Colombo& he e2presses concern of news reports that a prominent donor to the Conservative party has links to the +a3apakse regime and re/*ests Sir >eremy Beywood& Cabinet Secretary to look into the matter *rgently. 0n this letter& which 0 will table& Mr. @lenkinsop claims& 0 /*ote& -Lycamobile& a large telecomm*nications company has donated G;$7&$<$ (nearly +s %"%m( to the Conservative Party since $"%% and it was reported in the 6*ardian in >*ne $"%$ that they had not paid corporation ta2 for thee years. 9or yo*r information some of these links incl*de1 ) company owned by the Lyca gro*p has shares in a firm with President +a3apakse-s nephew Lyca-s travel agency Lycafly became the preferred partner of Sri Lankan airlines which is chaired by President +a3apakse-s brother in law. Most recently Lycamobile was branded -6old Sponsors- of the Commonwealth @*siness 9or*m ahead of CB?6M. 0 *rge yo* to investigate links between Lyca and the Sri Lankan regime to see if there is a conflict of interest in Conservative Party receiving f*nds from bodies with s*ch links to the Sri Lankan regime.( letter tabled( Mr. Speaker& the o*tcome of the investigation by Sir >eremy Beywood wil be of great interest not only to the @ritish Parliament b*t to *s in this ho*se as well. )s my time allocation is rapidly r*nning o*t& 0 wo*ld like to bring to the attention of this ho*se& the lead story or the headline news of .he .imes of London of %$th !ovember $"%#. .he London .imes& one of the most respected newspapers in the world writes *nder the caption -Cash for kidneys offer l*res @ritons- 1 0 /*ote... -@ritish transplant patients are being offered illegally trafficked kidneys by an international organ dealer who promises to arrange s*rgery at a hospital chaired by the brother of the Sri

Lankan President. .he government controlled hospital is being recommended to patients as a s*itable place to receive an organ p*rchased for tens of tho*sands of po*nds in the black market. ) times 3o*rnalist posing as a relative of a @riton was offered the chance to b*y an organ from a donor from 0ndia or the U4& with the twin operations to remove and implant the kidneys carried o*t sim*ltaneo*sly in Colombo. .he hospital& Lanka Bospitals Corporation is chaired by 6otabaya +a3apakse& Sri Lankas defence secretary and the brother of President +a3apakse.Mr. Speaker& as this is a lengthy article 0 will table it for yo*r per*sal. )s b*ying and selling h*man organs are by banned by international law& this is an e2tremely serio*s allegation. .his not only tarnishes the name of the +a3apakse family and the regime b*t it also tarnishes the image of the co*ntry as a whole. .hat is why we want a response from the defence secretary regarding these allegations. 0f it is not tr*e& he sho*ld make arrangements to s*e the newspaper in the U4 co*rts& in order to clear his name as well as that of o*r co*ntry. .hank yo*.