By C.V. Wigneswaran –

Justice C.V. Wigneswaran MP

Someone asked me; Mr. Wigneswaran! You supported Ranil for Presidency. Do you approve of his attempt to tax the people so heavily? 

My response was; I face the same difficulty that our voters undergo after electing their parliamentary representatives. There is a saying in Tamil “Until they cross the river they are siblings. After crossing they become strangers”. Most of our candidates promise heaven on earth before election. After they are elected all their promises become empty shells. Their personal needs and desires, their self-glorification and self-preservation take precedence.

I do not approve of his decision to tax the people heavily for the sins of those who ruined the economy of this country.

How much money was taken as commercial loans by Sri Lanka to construct the Mattala Airport? Similarly the Conference Hall, the Cricket Stadium etc. in Hambantota? Why was Hambantota selected as the venue for these constructions knowing its distance from Colombo without studying the consequences of such grandoise building operations and their impact?

How much loss has this country faced due to the stupid sudden decision not to import chemical urea fertilizers? All those who made wrong decisions and those who plundered the country are safe today. But the people are called upon to share the burden brought upon them by egotists, extortionists and expropriators. 

I believe all the venom exhibited against Tamils and Muslims by certain powerful politicians so far, was a façade to cover up the expropriations that were being conducted in innumerable ways. They kept the People concentrated elsewhere conditioning them to look upon Tamils and Muslims as Terrorists while expropriation of State assets was taking place right under the People’s noses.

No doubt, Ranil now depends for his political existence upon a Party that has brought this country to this impasse.

But let me advise him, if he cares to seek anyone’s advice. I am of opinion, that there are ways of saving the necessary money without heavily taxing the people. Taxing no doubt is necessary. PAYE taxing is in the right direction. But we could cut down on our expenditure considerably.

It is not the Politicians who run the Country. But Public Servants. Therefore why have so many Ministers? Cannot a dozen Ministers run this small Country? Why give Politicians the chance of heading important Statutory Bodies, Corporations etc. if they are not professionally qualified to head them? How long are we going to pander to the desires of politicians and ruin this country?

Why are we continuing to keep our Armed Forces high in number, 13 years after the war? I have asked this question earlier. Does Sri Lanka expect to fight a foreign Country? Has it fought a single battle after Independence with any foreign country – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Great Britain, China or the US? None! They have only fought with those who are citizens of this country, who have asked for their legitimate rights. How long are Sinhala majority governments hoping to keep an Occupational Military Unit in the North and East to cow down and prevent the Tamils from asking for their internationally recognised right of internal self-determination?

On an average about 12% of our Yearly Budget is set apart for the Military even now. After 2009 our allocations for the Armed Forces have increased not decreased. The new Budget Bill for 2023 fixes the allocation for the Armed Services at 360 Billion. The Income Tax revenue for last year was less than the Defence expenditure last year. That means all our income tax has gone to maintain our Armed Forces and yet more has been needed. 

Do the Armed Forces bring any revenue to the Country like the Police?  Even the income from the lands of the Tamil People in the North and East which are cultivated by the Military in occupied territories, are taken over by the Military. They are not given over to the State. 

On the other hand if our people are handed back their lands they would generate income and pay taxes to the State. 

The expenses of maintaining the Military in the North and East is stupendous and they do not bring any income to the Country. If so for whose benefit is the Military being stationed in the North and East? Certainly not to protect the Tamil people!  In fact the safety of our People is in jeopardy due to the presence of the Military. Before 2009 there were no drugs in the North and East. After 2009 there is plenty despite a stationed Army and a resident Police Force. Before 2009, a female could adorn herself with golden jewellery in the North and travel about, at any time of the night or day and she found herself safe. Now there is no safety even during daytime. Before 2009 our fishermen did fishing in their traditional fishing areas. Now they cannot fish in their own areas. Outsiders with the help of the Military are doing mostly illegal fishing. People of the area have lost their traditional livelihoods. Before 2009 there were no Ava Groups. Now many such Groups operate with impunity. Who gives them the cover? Newer and newer Buddhist places of worship are coming up in non-Buddhist areas in the North and East, thanks to the assistance given by the Military. Lands are appropriated by Government Departments and Institutions. Thanks to the assistance given by the Armed Forces. Tourist Hotels are run by the Armed Forces in the North and East. What income do they bring to the State? All that income goes to the Military.

Let us be frank and truthful. The Military is being kept in the North and East for two reasons;

1. To keep the Tamils under the military yoke so that they will not rise up and ask for their legitimate rights nor prosper. If they all would emigrate due to the fear of the Forces, so much the better! 

2. To keep the North and East under the military yoke to grab as much lands as possible from the traditional homelands of the Tamils so that those lands could be colonised by Sinhalese from elsewhere and thereby the demography of the Tamil speaking areas could be changed and the Tamils could  be made minorities in their own areas. In anticipation of the influx of Sinhala Buddhists from elsewhere Buddhist places of worship are coming up today, with the assistance meted out by the Forces. 

The idea is to make the entire country Sinhala Buddhist. Even though the Tamils are the majority in the North and East the idea is to drive as many Tamils out of the country and change the demography of the North and East to make them Sinhala Buddhist on some future date.

But what we have forgotten is that in our anxiety to reach the goal of a Sinhala Buddhist Sri Lanka, we have ruined our economy; we have destroyed our good name among the International Community, we have handed over part of our territories to Foreign Countries on very long lease and have been reduced to become beggars in the International Arena. Those who supported us in Geneva have considerably reduced every year and now our supporters stand at 7 only. Next time even China would abstain because we are bound to hurt China soon. 

All this is due to our secret desire to make the entire country Sinhala Buddhist which it is not.

Is it therefore not a better option to withdraw the Military from the North and East, strengthen the Police there to look after law and order and  progressively reduce the expenditure on the Military at least by half? 13 Years have passed since the end of the war. Unless the benefits of substantial commissions on the purchase of modern armaments attract our powers that be and stand in the way, any child will say we are unduly spending a lot of money on the Military, their armaments, their upkeep and their pension and other benefits. All that money would be available to the Country if the spending on the Military is substantially reduced.

All security given to Politicians and others could be taken from Private Security Services and the State could partly pay for them. Then we could reduce the Military numbers and make the Police available for Police duties.

Ranil would not need to tax the citizens unduly. 

Ranil should consider seriously the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration of the Country’s armed units and their combatants at least now.

The DDR is a central precondition for the transformation of conflicts and disputes on a civil and political level. “ Reintegrative measures, such as stopgap payments, the reunification of families, training programmes, small loans to foster self-employment or job offers in infrastructure projects should lead demobilised combatants to a productive civil life and, in the long run, keep them from going back to carrying arms. The relation of demobilisation and disarmament to reintegration is not devoid of tensions as both components differ fundamentally. Demobilisation and disarmament lie within the responsibility of the Military, are exclusively geared to combatants and have short-term security goals. Reintegration lies within the responsibility of civilian actors.  Despite this fundamental difference, both ‘DD’ and ‘R’ strongly depend upon each other. Successful reintegration measures are just as important for a sustainable success of demobilisation and disarmament as successful disarmament is the precondition for the beginning of a reintegration programme”.

If the process of DDR would be set in motion and the Military presence considerably reduced, the Tamils of the North and East would get their cultivable lands back, their forests back, their women/widows would be breathing a sigh of relief, land grabbing by Departments and others would come to a halt and the livelihood prospects of the locals would considerably improve. There would be more taxes paid by our successful farmers and entreprenuers. And the Country would cease to be the 14^th largest Army in the World which would be good for the Country. We have at present 331000 soldiers according to official records. Britain at the moment has 90000 soldiers only.

The answer to your question is that I do not see anyone capable enough to replace Ranil as the President at the moment. A General Election now might lead to a hung Parliament which could be deadly for the safety of the Country. Political turmoil reduced to a great extent at the moment under Ranil, would erupt into a conflagration if there is no stability at the top. I think Ranil should have the Local Government Elections soon to feel the pulse of the people. Of course Ranil is politically neither here nor there. He is UNP and the Party propping him up is the Pohotuwa. There are talks going on for an Alliance between the Aliya and the Pohottuwa.

As President he should not get involved in the Election but allow the young UNPites to fight it out with the others. If Ranil makes good in the balance time available to the present Parliament, there is no doubt his Party or his Alliance would be returned at the next general Elections. At that time his Party/Alliance  might get a 2/3 rd majority in Parliament like how JR got 5/6^th majority in 1977.

But the poor Tamils! We would continue to be beaten, battered, deprived of our rights and wherever possible chased out of the Island to usher in a Sinhala Buddhist Government in the whole of Sri Lanka. Ranil promised many positive things  for the Tamils when he was given our requests in writing. Up to now he has not fulfilled a single request!

*Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, Member of Parliament, Jaffna District.