Rajapaksas’ files are with us – JVP

THURSDAY, 01 JANUARY 2015

They are in possession of files of Rajapaksas who attack artistes but talk about patriotism states the JVP. This was stated by the Information Secretary of the JVP Vijitha Herath speaking at a media conference held at the head office of the JVP at Pelawatta today (1st).

Mr. Herath speaking to the media said, “The government blatantly uses state resources and the state media for its election campaign. They are now talking about conspiracies and have started mudslinging. When the situation became critical the ‘sensitive leader’ deployed his gangs of thugs to attack the opposition. The artistes in the country were assaulted. Jayatilleke Bandara, who started ‘Opposition of the Street’, was attacked at Eppawala. Government goons assaulted them again at Hambantota. The person who became notorious as the ‘mayor of the toy pistol’ and his thugs attacked artistes. Recently, the group of artistes from ‘New Generation’ was attacked by thugs led by a Chairman of a Divisional Council of the government at Kumbukgate in Kurunegala. These artistes went round the country to express their views without expecting anything in return. It is such a group of artistes that was attacked by Namal Rajapaksa’s thugs of the ‘Blue Brigade’. Young artistes are assaulted by Rajapaksa’s son who leads the ‘tomorrow for youth’ organization. Samanalee of our country is attacked with stones while Bollywood stars brought down by Mahinda Rajapaksa are cordially welcomed. Millions of people’s money is spent for these ‘stars’. The policy of the ‘sensitive leader’ is ‘stones for Samanmalee but wreaths for Salman’.

Our police service and the Army are shamelessly deployed for Rajapaksa’s election campaign. They are forced to join government’s election campaign.  We, of the JVP, pasted a poster on the 30th with the theme ‘Let’s end corrupt regime on 8th January!” The government, deploying the police, removed the posters throughout the island before morning on the 31st. The police have no right to remove that poster. It’s our legal right to put up that poster. The poster had the responsibility of the JVP printed on it. This act shows how bankrupt this government is. The police have been politicized. Circulars are issued pressurizing the personnel of the three forces. The government is so bankrupt and is so resigned to defeat that circulars are sent asking soldiers to watch TV programmes in which Gotabhaya Rajapaksa appears. All this shows how scared the government is regarding the election.

Now files of frauds and corruption of Rajapaksas are being exposed. Mahinda Rajapaksa first said he had files of those who leave the government. We would like to tell Mahinda Rajapaksa and company that we have plenty of their files with us. We have the files of a water project to the Southern Province which cost only Rs.125 million but fake documents had been prepared to make the cost go up to Rs.270 million. Agreements made with Israel construction companies and banks in Netherlands have been exposed. All those illegal transactions are being revealed now. We have the files of 32% profits pilfered by giving contracts outside the tender process to construct roads to China Harbour company. We have the files of the stealing from road construction and Colombo Harbour project. Rajapaksa family have got scared now.

The government has started sowing false patriotism to conceal their robberies. Those who are leaving the government are labeled traitors. Hakeem was in the government all this time. He was the Minister of Justice, one of the most important ministries in the government. Also, several from his party were made deputy ministers.  Now they have become traitors as they have left the government. Mahinda Rajapaska says Rauff Hakeem left the government as he the separate administrative division he had asked for was not given to him. When the Minister of Justice of his government asked for a separate administrative area Mahinda Rajapaksa could have sacked him from his ministerial post and remove him from the government. Why didn’t he do it?  Basil Rajapaksa tried until the last moment to keep Hakeem in the government. What this government displays is its indecency. The artistes are attacked due to this indecency.

Rishard Badurdeen was with the government the whole time. When they go out of the government they become traitors. The TNA has told the people to vote against the government. Now the government is attempting to spread the view that the country is to be divided. They are trying to rouse the people. Many leaders of the LTTE such as KP, Karuna Amman, Pilleyan, Nagulan and Ram are with Mahinda Rajapaksa. TNA is a political party. It is a political party which has MPs elected by the people in Parliament. The government, while petting tigers is trying to label TNA as tigers.

Hence, we tell the people that patriots and traitors should be identified. Where were Gorabhaya, Basil and Dallas, who chant patriotism, during the past? They fled to the USA. Pushpa Rajapaksa has houses in California. They have four or five houses bought in California. Those who have property in the USA try to sow pseudo patriotism in this country. When becoming naturalized citizens of the USA all foreign-born men and women should take the Oath of Allegiance. The oath states "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

Gotabhaya, Basil and Dallas, who gave the oath of allegiance to the USA, now talks about patriotism to conceal their plunder. Those who have given the oath of allegiance should be prepared to take arms on behalf of the USA. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who is a citizen of the USA enters into a defense agreement with the USA. He, representing Sri Lanka government, signed the agreement with Robert O Blake, who was the ambassador for USA in Sri Lanka then. According to this agreement Sri Lanka is bound to allow the forces of the USA the land, water, houses, clothing and infra structure facilities at a time of war. Is this patriotism? Signing this agreement is a treacherous act. We carried out a massive struggle in parliament demanding to reveal this agreement. However, the government did not reveal it. Due to our struggle the agreement has been made available deleting certain sections. Such individuals are displaying a false patriotism now. They run to the USA even for a small ailment.

The ‘sensitive leader’ who reiterates his love for the country has sold to foreign companies islands belonging to Sri Lanka. Thousands of acres of land at Somawathiya are sold to ‘Dole’ company in the USA. China is assigned to reclaim land and build ports and cities. What they have is not patriotism but love for commissions. They try to avoid the defeat by talking about patriotism.

Hence, we tell the masses that this family rule should be and could be defeated. It is the JVP that dedicated itself and made a lot of sacrifices on behalf of the unitary state of the country and to defeat separatism. We continued with this struggle in the past, is engaged in it now and will continue to do so in the future as well. Those in the government say there is a danger of the country being divided if Mahinda Rajapaksa is defeated. We categorically say whether Mahinda Rajapaksa is there or not, whether there is someone else; if anyone tries to divide the country the JVP will never allow it. We ask the people not to be deceived. Use your vote on the 8th to defeat the corrupt Rajapaksa regime, to end despotic family rule and to establish democracy.”

Responding to questions posed by journalists Mr. Herath said, “The bankrupt government gets down various kinds of actors. They get down actors like Salman Khan from Bollywood or Gunaratnam from Australia. This shows the bankruptcy of the government. The JVP doesn’t have any secret agreements. If we want to have an agreement we would do so in public. We had an agreement with Mahinda Rajapaksa. We got a letter from Chandrika to abolish executive presidency. People in this country know about it. We need not do such acts in secret. The government is prepared to do any low-grade thing to come out of the pit it has fallen to. People in this country know why certain individuals come to Sri Lanka at this time. The manner such individuals flee the country and come back indicates they fulfill the interests of Rajapaksas.

Our standpoint is very clear, definite and steadfast. This Rajapaksa corrupt regime should be defeated. Democracy should be established in the country. There won’t be any change to this standpoint.

Today, Dallas Alahapperuma and the likes have come up with a falsehood that the country is to be divided to scare the people. When the ceasefire agreement was signed in 2001 and the country was to be divided Dallas Alahapperuma and his likes were not in Sri Lanka. Whole families were in the USA. Now they talk of a division. It was the JVP that prevented the country being divided. That was the time the real mediation should have been made. It is the government of Dallas that talks of patriotism that signed the treacherous agreement with the USA.”