(October 24, Brussels, Sri Lanka Guardian) Joe Higgins, Socialist Party member and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Dublin, Ireland voted yes on the joint motion for a resolution (JMR) on Sri Lanka on 22 October 2009 at the European parliament. This JMR criticised the Sri Lankan government’s treatment of Tamil-speaking people.
While attacking the chauvinist Sri Lankan government, Joe also voiced his reservations about paragraph 4 which: “Calls on all Tamil leaders to commit to a political settlement and to renounce terrorism and violence once and for all”. He pointed out that the blame lies with the horrific Rajapakse regime which he described as a “dictatorship with a very thin democratic veneer”.
Joe said that the “main terrorism factor came from the Rajapakse government against people” and added that “the Tamil-speaking people have the right to defend themselves against military aggression”. He added “the best way to defend the rights of the Tamil people is through a united struggle of Tamil-speaking people and Sinhala working class and poor”.
He also expressed solidarity with the United Socialist Party (USP) in Sri Lanka which has been fighting for the rights of the Tamil-speaking masses, including their right to self determination for a long time. The USP helped to set up the Civil Monitoring Commission and other campaigns against killings and kidnappings and has always vociferously opposed the brutal war. Its members, including the secretary Siritunga Jayasuria, have received numerous death threats and have been forced to work underground.
Joe Higgins MEP, and as a councillor and as an MP (TD) previously, has consistently defended the rights of the Tamil-speaking masses in Sri Lanka. He helped to organise protests around the world and participated in them in Ireland. He is the only high profile politician in Europe campaigning for the rights of the oppressed people in Sri Lanka. He is also an honorary president of Tamil Solidarity: for the rights of all workers and oppressed people in Sri Lanka. -Sri Lanka Guardian
Home Unlabelled Joe Higgins MEP condemns Sri Lankan government at the European Parliament
Joe Higgins MEP condemns Sri Lankan government at the European Parliament
By Sri Lanka Guardian • October 24, 2009 • • Comments : 1
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This is the classic stance of leaders who direct his followers to a dream world. None of these people have run a government or at least helped a government to govern. It is easy to slander and legitimate government for it conduct from out side as the opposition parties always do. But when they are in power they are no different to the previous regime. The UNP who was in power from 1977 to 1994. The damage they did to the society and democracy is legendary. They were the people who installed the current executive presidency. The SLFP followed with scrapping the Executive presidency and did hold on to it during their full term. Then the present government came in to power with curtailing the powers of presidency, but has done nothing at this time.
Though the previous governments severely curtailed human rights in Sri Lanka on the pretext of fighting terrorism never made use of the provisions to eliminate it. However, the present government did use the provisions to annihilate terrorism. With this achievement the present President is deserved to hold such powers for the security and well being of its citizenry.
After such a brutal war for 30 years it is not an easy task for the government to normalize the civil life so easily. The war effort has created lot of bad relationships. The captured LTTE cadres have to be rehabilitated. Efforts have to be made to areas captured from LTTE never to get into the hands of trouble makers again.
Then what about our armed forces itself. We have to wean the army, and find productive engagement for all of the armed forces. We have to give them reasonable civil life. Also we have to give relief to ordinary civilians who sustained the cruel effects of war. To do all that we have to get our economy improved. Gradually we have to get the corruption if it is happening under control for the benefit of the majority people. It may be a good idea to deploy honest armed personnel to do this task.
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