Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa “promises” independence to Tamil

Colombo – The Sri Lankan government plans to set up an advisory body to find ways to devolve power to ethnic minorities, mainly Tamils, President Mahinda Rajapksa told Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna during his official visit on 16-19 January.

The government has called on the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to support a parliamentary select committee that will formulate proposals of reform. Various Catholic religious leaders have criticised the president’s idea, demanding instead a return to the 13th Amendment of the constitution, adopted in 1987. Government spokesman and Media and Information Minister of Keheliya Rambukwella said the government expects to establish the advisory body, which it sees as “13+1”.

The 13th Amendment calls for power devolution in favour of provincial councils. Following the end of the civil war in 2009, Tamils have been waiting for a political solution allowing them to have their own councils.

“Rajapaksa’s proposal is only meant to buy time,” said Fr Sebastien Maria Anthony, SJ. For him, the government “is only good at promising and appointing commissions but nothing more”.

“The government continues to avoid the issue,” said Fr Sarath Iddamalgoda, a human rights activist. “The president has the power to implement the amendment. If the problem is resistance in the majority population, he and his government must have the courage to educate the masses about the need to transfer power.”

“The establishment of an advisory body is a good thing,” Fr Oswald B. Firth, ex provincial of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, told AsiaNews. “However, since the end of the ethnic conflict, people in the (predominantly Tamil) North and East want power transfer. These people have suffered enough. Before proposing the 13+1, the government should implement the constitutional amendment.”