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‘We’ll never consent to the division of this nation’ – Sri Lankan President’s Independence Day address

In his special address on the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence Day, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe vowed he would “maximum division of power in a unitary state” but would “never consent to the division of this nation”.

 

Federalism

His statement comes as Tamils across the North and East, as well as those in diaspora, have rallied against Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebrations and demanded a political solution that meets their demands for self-determination.

In Jaffna, the leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam led a demonstration against Sri Lanka’s controversial 13th amendment which saw the introduction of provincial councils. In writing to the US Under-Secretary of State and India’s Foreign Minister, Ponnambalam highlighted how Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has persistently ruled on the amendment in favour of centralising power within Colombo and reinforcing the unitary structure of the state. Instead, he, alongside a number of diaspora organisations, have urged for a federal solution.

Speaking before the All Party Parliamentary Conference, Wickremesinghe railed against a federal solution and stressed that either the 13th amendment should be implemented or abolished.

Read more here: A veiled threat and more empty promises – Wickremesinghe vowed he ‘will never betray the Sinhala nation’

The Tamil homeland

In his speech, Wickremesinghe also addressed “the unique issues that the people in the North and East face” and claimed that a sub-committee had been set up to address these concerns.

Wickremesinghe also noted discussions he has held with the military over the release of Tamil land that the military continues to occupy as well as the release of Tamil political prisoners. Whilst claiming that a review into land disputes would be conducted, it will be at the military’s discretion.

Wickremesinghe claimed he would “treat the root cause of the malaise” however his conduct has inspired little confidence from Tamils on the island.

Prior to the All-Party Parliamentary Conference, discussions broke down with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with TNA MP MA Sumanthiran telling reports that the government failed to provide an update on how it would meet its commitment to Tamils.

Economy

During his speech, Wickremesinghe also spoke on the dire state of Sri Lanka’s economy claiming that tough economic decisions were foreclosed for the sake of political expediency.

“We borrowed more for consumption rather than for investment […] We adopted the notion that, “The government is a spring of resources” Wickremesinghe claimed. 

The statement comes as Sri Lanka is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund which will likely see heavy cuts to the public budget and a greater focus on improving Sri Lanka’s export industry.

“We should modernize the economy and open it to the world”, Wickremesinghe added.

Sri Lanka’s president also called upon the Sri Lankan diaspora to “shoulder this journey” to economic recovery.

Read Wickremesinghe's full address here.

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