By Gagani Weerakoon Courtesy Ceylon Today

Independent MP Wimal Weerawansa yesterday (27) said in Parliament that there is a conspiracy to take the State towards anarchy in the guise of ‘Aragalaya’ and that attempt should be defeated.

Weerawansa made this remark during the debate on Emergency Regulations.

The country has reached to a critical junction at this moment. Everyone knows we voted for MP Dullas Alahapperuma in the poll to elect a President with the other opposition parties in Parliament. However, that election was won by Ranil Wickremesinghe. If Alahapperuma won, we could have established an All-Party Government. We proposed an All-Party Government for the first time to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 8 April. But, he did not accept it,” he said.

To solve the current crisis situation, the administration should be recognised by the people. It should have validity. The current administration does not have the approval of the people. However, this administration is legal. It is established according to the Constitutional frame work, he noted.

Owing to the hardships caused mainly by the economic crisis, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Colombo to send the former President home. Following that mass scale protest, the former President stepped down peacefully. This Aragalaya was started under the banner of Gota Go Home. The society accepted it because of the hardships they have to go through. But what has happened now? Even when Gota has gone home, this Aragalaya still continues. What is the point of this?” he queried.

Now these so called protesters demand Ranil Wickremesinghe to go home. What are they doing? Are they going to demand everyone who is appointed as the President to go home? When will it stop? The easiest way for them is to make it clear about who they want as the President, Then we can make that person the President, Weerawansa stressed.

Why are they doing this? Don’t they want to see the country is breathing freely? Don’t they want to find solutions for the economic crisis? We too have problems with the current administration. It is true that we do not agree with some of its conduct. We can deal with them in a different way. But this ‘Aragalaya’ is trying to portray the country as another Libya by giving interviews for the international media every day.”

I am not condemning the genuine grievances of the people. I am not condemning the efforts of youth of this country who want a system change. But this is an attempt to destroy the State. It should not be allowed to happen. It does not matter whether I am in the government or the Opposition. I would not allow that to happen. I do not want Minister Posts from Ranil Wickremesinghe. Such posts are not valuable for me. But the State is valuable for me. I need my State, he said.

They occupied Presidential Secretariat, the President’s House and the Temple Trees. Are these attempts peaceful? How can anyone say these are peaceful? Even after that some group wanted to occupy Parliament. The security forces prevented that sinister attempt. What will happen if they occupied Parliament on that day? Those people mercilessly beat soldiers. Our Army is one of the best armies in the world. You can check it with UN Peacekeeping Mission. Even after the attack against them near Parliament, the Army behaved professionally. The so called strugglers should not take that patience as cowardice.”

I will tell you what is happening now. First they burned down houses of 73 MPs and emotionally blackmailed and mentally intimidated them. They did the same for clergy, artists and the Police as well. If a suspect is arrested and produced before the court, hundreds of lawyers go to the Court. This is an indirect intimidation on the Judges. They might think If they do not give a favourable verdict, the next arson attack will be on their houses.

If these so-called strugglers occupied Parliament on that day, will there be a State? After that they only have to occupy the Supreme Court building, SLRC and ITN. They will then say everyone should dance according to their tune. Is this what we really need? I though we need to overcome the economic crisis, not these unnecessary dramas. Even if we are in the Opposition we have a responsibility to do our part for the country to solve the current crisis,

Following our discussion, top level officials at a Russian oil company visited Sri Lanka. They had discussions with Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara and the CBSL Governor. They left the country on 9 July. After seeing some videos filmed inside President’s House such as the people having baths in swimming pool, they told us that they understood the attitude of Sri Lankans. I did not reply to that comment. What can I say? This is the image that the international community have about us now.

That Russian Company has sent a MoU. Now we have to say whether we agree with the MoU. If we agree, then they would send us an Operational Agreement. We can obtain fuel for a lower price that the global market from them. But, an official of the Legal Division of the CPC has informed in written that it is dangerous to agree with the MoU without screening the legality of this oil company. This is a loan from the Russian Government. Why are we checking the pedigree of the company that comes in our aid in a crucial time like this? This is not the suitable time for that.

If we try to carry out our personal agendas, we will not allow such a deal to happen, as if we sign this agreement with Russian company the fuel shortage might come to end and the government will be stable after that. That is how many think. But we are not like that. We do not want to destabilise the country. We do not want to ruin the State. I told this to the current President as well. However, it seems that some people are trying to block that attempt.”

It is very clear that some external force is trying to use Sri Lankan economic crisis for destabilise the State. Everyone should understand that. They use the genuine agitations of the people as a cat’s paw to carry out their own sinister agendas.

National State has both pros and cons. The State gives us free education and free healthcare. There are cons too. But the State should be stable before doing anything. It is a crime to attempt to destabilise the State. Countries like Sierra Leone and Haiti did that mistake and now the people in those countries are suffering. I saw some people in ‘Aragalaya’ have gone to the UN and request for international intervention. TNA MP Sritharan has asked for a foreign army to be occupied in North and East. If this continues, Siritharan will come in front of army camps in the North and demand the troops to abandon the camps. Then they will go to the religious places like Kuragala. The whole country will be fallen into anarchy if this situation continues.”

MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala was killed in broad daylight. He did not do any wrong. We can understand the suffering of the people, so we can bear such incidents. But we cannot simply stay and watch the attempts to destabilise the State.

There was a movement called ‘Yellow Shirts’ in Thailand. It was an endless struggle just like the one in Sri Lanka. If you search, you can find that a Bar association was behind that movement too. The U.S. provided funds to the struggle through that Bar association. I would like to present a document. Ths document states about an organisation called NED attached to the CIA.  It was initiated in 1983. This organisation is working in bout 100 countries. This organisation has given colossal amounts of grants to several Sri Lankan organisations.  Some of those grants have been used through the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.  Now you can understand. They are emotionally blackmailing us. They even can attack us after this revelation. But we cannot surrender to such attempts.

Also, some persons are trying to intimidate the military. I saw a video that a young person screams at a soldier that Prabhakaran was better than the Sri Lankan military. How can they say such things? The Sri Lanka Army serves the people in every difficult situation. Why these people try to mentally intimidate the military like this?

I listened to the speech of Field Marshal Sarah Fonseka. He ordered the army not to attack the protesters.  He ordered the army not to do anything. Is he saying that if the so called strugglers occupy Parliament, military should simply watch such attempts? They are not strugglers, but anarchists. We have to face these anarchists strongly.”

However, if the government use the Emergency Regulations to suppress the rights of the civilians, we will vote against it next month. I know that our votes are not crucial to pass the Emergency Regulations. But we have to stop this crime of destabilising the State. We will not be a part of that crime. That U.S. organisation I told you about before has provided money to many organisations in Sri Lanka. Some Youtubers have been also funded by them.”

The representatives of the Russian oil company had passed by Galle Face. They told that the same thing happened in the Ukraine too. Thousands of people gathered at a park to chase away the President who had friendly ties with Russia. They said the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine funded those protesters. They said the U.S. Ambassador is above the President of Sri Lanka. I think that is correct because former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa used to meet the U.S. Ambassador at least thrice a week.  The Amabssador emotionally blackmailed the former President. He did not take correct dicisions at the correct time. At the end, he did not receive any support from foreign countries.”

Majority of people does not want to chase away everyone who becomes the President after Gotabaya Rajapaksa. It is a need of certain persons who are funded by foreign forces. Therefore, I think the current President should work to gain the trust of the people. For that, an All-Party Government must be established.

We have already presented our proposals for an All-Part Government. Everyone needs to act with a responsibility at this critical juncture. We should not let Sri Lanka to become another Libya. The youth who genuinely want a system change should not allow the anarchists to win. I saw on social media that the method used to arrest the person who forcibly entered into SLRC is wrong. That person stopped Poya Day programme broadcasted on Rupavahini. Is that correct? I do not have anything against the youth who are honest and took the streets because of the genuine agitations. But the persons like the one who stormed into SLRC are not in that category. The honest strugglers should not be deceived by such persons.”

Also, a leader of a political party had told a rule beyond the current constitution should be established. This is their plan. What will happen if this becomes a reality? The State will be collapsed. The anarchists will rule the country. There will be no law and order. I would like to make a request to the Police and Armed Forces. You (the Police and Armed Forces) should protect the State. You do not have to protect us. Do not let the anarchists to destabilise the country. We are with you in that mission.”

BY Gagani Weerakoon and Methmalie Dissanayake