Politicians, intellectuals join forces against authoritarian presidency and dictatorial constitution
Negombo (AsiaNews) – Sri Lanka is run by an authoritarian presidency under a dictatorial constitution, this according to Platform for Freedom (PFF), a group that includes opposition lawmakers, civil society groups, human rights activists and intellectuals.
Some 800 representatives of the various organisations that belong to the PFF met yesterday at the Town Hall auditorium in Negombo, north of Colombo, to express their opposition to the policies of President Mahinda Rajapaksa; their demands: a stop to violations of civil liberties and freedom of expression, and end to corruption, discrimination and to social injustice as well as action to address the country’s most urgent and serious problems, including peace and reconciliation.
K.W. Janaranjana, deputy editor of the Sinhala-language newspaper Ravaya; human rights activist Nimalka Fernando, and many political leaders like the main opposition leader Ranil Wickremasingha, and Sinhalese and Tamil MPs like Joseph Michael Perera, Mangala Samaraweera, Mano Ganeshan and Srithunga Jayasooriya were at the PFF gathering.
Mano Ganeshan, Tamil lawmaker and head of the Democratic People’s Front, spoke at the meeting. In his speech he reminded everyone of the dismal situation faced by people living in refugee camps.
Addressing the rally he said that he came to know that the government is going to extend their mercy on Tamil population to solve Tamil’s problems. But he said "Tamils are not beggars to get that type of sympathy from the government , but we only need the government to implement 13 Amendment and the devolution of the power.”
“Mahinda defeated terrorism but did not gain peace. So we have a responsibility to achieve peace through a political solution with the Tamils. Such a political solution can enable the country’s economic development,” said Mangala Samaraweera, a Sinhalese politician and leader of the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
Pakiyasothy Saravanamuththu, one of the main PFF organisers, told all those present that “we cannot hand over this responsibility only to politicians; we as civilians in our country should hold hands and act quickly”. In his address he told journalists that they too must be involved.
The PFF wants people in the media to have the courage to show what is happening in Sri Lanka, a country where increasingly “there is no room for alternative opinions or acts,” said K.W. Janaranjana, a country where “if somebody speaks out against one way traffic, he or she is labelled a LTTE supporter or a traitor” or is “abducted, assaulted or killed” by those in power.
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24/01/2007
