Samaraweera slams ‘Viyathmaga’ statements

• Pledges to continue fostering reconciliation with peace-loving Sri Lankans 

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday criticised recent statements made by a former top military official that anyone supporting the new Constitution should be killed, and pledged to continue reconciliation efforts with progressive and peace-loving Sri Lankans.  

Recently, at an event held under the patronage of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, under the banner of ‘Viyathmaga’, a former military officer has said that anyone supporting a new Constitution for the country should be killed, the statement said. 

Recalling the ’88-’89 era of terror, he had gone on to say that this should be done using the label ‘death to traitors’, and that this label should be tattooed on people before they were executed and that the remains of those who were thus killed should not be raised above the knee-level of the pallbearers. He adds that that the remains of those executed should not be shown any of the respect which is traditionally afforded to the dead in our country, it added.  

“He has made this terrifying statement despite the fact that 63 lakhs of voters in this country, in 2015, asserted victoriously that a new constitution must be instituted in this country, for achieving sustainable peace, stability, reconciliation and prosperity in our nation; and at a time when the Unity Government, as a people-oriented and democratic government, led by His Excellency the President and the Honourable Prime Minister, are working towards fulfilling this responsibility entrusted to them by the people.”  

“Such statements make it very clear that the defeated, power-hungry forces in our country, who don’t value democracy, have got into a frenzy of insanity as they cannot bear to witness the President and the Prime Minister winning the confidence and trust of the public, both locally and internationally, by steering this nation successfully on a democratic path.”  

Samaraweera noted that the Government would continue to work with moderates to foster constructive engagement and criticised platforms built by people whom he insisted were striving to flame divisions between communities. 

 “The fact that the founding father of the white van culture in this country, Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s unending dream of unleashing endless brutal terror has still not faded away is proven again and again by the terrifying statements that emerge from the bloodthirsty movements such as this that have been set up on his behalf. 

“We are committed to take all necessary steps to establish sustainable peace and reconciliation in our country. We are committed to ensure that no power-hungry ruthless forces derail the democratic path that we tread to realise the vision of a peaceful, stable, reconciled and prosperous Sri Lanka.

“Similarly, I stress that we are prepared, determined and committed to join hands with all the progressive and peace-loving people of our country to once again defeat the bloodthirsty, ruthless forces to ensure the preservation of democracy and human values in our country.”