Colombo, June 7 (newsin.asia): The Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority Northern Province, C.V.Wigneswaran, had suggested to the government that the Lankan armed forces be divided into nine equal parts and evenly distributed over the nine provinces in the country.

But the government had turned a deaf ear to that suggestion, the Chief Minister said at the opening of a branch of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in Jaffna on Thursday.

The Chief Minister said that he had given an easy solution” to the dilemma faced by the Government in housing an enhanced army not required any more during peace times.

I asked them to divide the number in the Armed Forces into nine equal parts, allowing each unit to occupy the nine Provinces. This way the undue concentration of the Armed Forces in our war torn region after nine years since the end of the war could be averted.”

But that advise fell on deaf ears giving the impression to our people that the government purposefully stations the Armed Forces in our areas with ulterior motives,” he charged.

Wigneswaran went on to allege  that many activities to bring in members of the majority community from outside the Northern Province into the province had been undertaken by the State and its agencies including the Armed Forces.

The tense situation in the Vadamaratchi Eastern sea area which has erupted now is a direct result of the occupation of our areas by the Armed Forces. Fishermen or others from outside our region are taking over our People’s traditional sea coast fishing grounds and their sole means of livelihood, with the concurrence and active support of the Armed Forces.”

Our sea coasts are dotted with huts put up for them, thanks to the support given by the Armed Forces. Our government officials are threatened openly or indirectly to give in to the whims and fancies of the intruders and their protectors.”

Shed Security Perspective

Asking the government to shed its obsession with security, Wigneswaran said: We continue with a state security perspective. Hence every legitimate political action on the part of our people connote treasonable activity to the Government. There is no mutual trust among us. Yet you want our entrepreneurs to move forward unconcerned.”

Training his guns on the corporate invasion” from Colombo to the North ,Wigneswaran said that corporate invaders” had introduced many consumer articles to a luxury starved Tamil community on instalment basis. But when the people could not repay their installments they were deprived of their consumer articles as well as the installments paid up to the time of corporate execution.

Delicate Situation

The Chief Minister said that the Northern Province is sitting on a powder keg which could explode anytime.

However much the Army and our people might want to maintain peace and order, the slightest provocation could trigger off violent activities by either side. How would this fit into a peaceful vibrant environment needed to promote trade and commerce, export and entrepreneurship?” he asked.

I refer to the negatives for you to be conscious of the reality of the situation current in this region,” he told the EDB officials from Colombo.

Planned Immigration Into North

Wigneswaran said there is a conscious effort by people from the South to take over our lands and sea beaches along the Mullaithivu area with the active support of the armed forces.”

Condemning it he said: That does not augur well for our commercial and industrial promotional activities. We could ignore and carry on. But we must remember that at any stage the presence of the military in these areas could provoke a reaction. Such reactions would be falsely identified as terrorist activities and then we would have to start from the beginning.”

Need to Give Assent Chief Minister’s Fund

As soon as a federal constitution is brought about the Tamil  Diaspora would want to invest in the north in a big way and be a powerful source of help to entrepreneurs here, the Chief Minister said.

But the Government must give them guarantees that obstacles and barricades would not be placed on their path of progress. Any attempt to discriminate against them would make them withdraw.”

The Chief Minister’s Fund Statute is a good example of how the government and government departments place obstacles on our way. Despite the amendments that were asked to be made by the Attorney General’s Department being accordingly effected, the Attorney General’s Department is again sitting on the CM’s Fund Statute now for several months.”

Earlier it took eight months to say there were some amendments needed. In fact the amendments were already made when the first draft was returned by the AG’s Department but the Governor had sent the wrong draft.”

Unless the Government could show its goodwill, genuineness and credibility in such small matters as passing a Statute which completely conforms to the State’s expectations, our attempts to aid and foster the National Program might come to naught,” Wigneswaran warned.

Giving another example, he said: We had done all the preliminaries to set up a Vegetable and Fruit exporting business enterprise in Thunukkai in the Wanni region with collaboration from Messrs.Aitken and Spence. Though all tests and preliminaries were completed one year ago the project is still with the Commissioner General of Lands.”

When we do our part with enthusiasm and efficiency we often find a negative attitude on the part of Colombo.”

(The featured image at the top is that of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran)