Karu J condemns suppressive policy of Govt.

The following is the full statement issued by UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya yesterday:

The Government has stated that they do not suppress peaceful demonstrations.  However this statement was made after suppressing the demonstration held during last week by unarmed masses and political parties demanding the Government to reduce the price of fuel and the cost of living. This repression was made by using water cannons, tear gas and anti riot squads and live ammunition.  Earlier the Government suppressed protest march of the University Students who were demanding to safeguard the free education system.

Two unarmed civil citizens have already sacrificed their lives due to the repressive policy of the Government. Roshen Chanaka, an employee in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone and Anthony Fernando, a fisherman from Chilaw. None of them used weapons against this regime.

We ask the Government, who is responsible for giving orders to chase behind people and political parties of the opposition, using water cannons, tear gassing, baton charges and live ammunition when they protest against the Government to demand their rights and the rights of the people? We ask the Government who is the hidden force behind these orders?

These hidden forces have become so powerful, that the suspects are being abducted in white vans by unknown gunmen even when they are inside court premises and in the custody of prison officials. The burnt bodies of those who have been murdered are left along the wayside. As the protests against the Government are intensified with the ever increasing repressive policies of the Government, we foresee the danger of these hidden forces getting more activated We do not agree with the Government’s interpretation that these protests by unarmed people and the common opposition is an effort to topple the Government by force nor an activity influenced by the international non-governmental organisation. We emphasise that the Government must stop this Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hide policy adopted towards the protests held against the waste, corruption, nepotism and inefficient administration of the regime. If it is truly a peoples’ friendly Government as it admits, they must try to find out where they have made mistakes and rather than attempting to find solutions to the hardships undergone by the people by means of iron bars, tear gas, anti riot squads, live ammunition, extra judicial hidden forces and white vans.  The Government will pave the path to drag this country to a similar situation which prevails in countries such as Syria, if they do not attempt to take decisions in the best interests of the people.