Interview

"Govt. wants aid for its own projects"

By Wilson Gnanadass 

Q: How do you assess the damage caused by the tsunami in your electorate? And has the government so far stepped in to help the electorate?

A: The damage is extensive in Kalutara, Beruwela and Panadura electorates. Nearly 35,000 people have been displaced and about 3,000 houses have been completely destroyed. Thousands more have been partly destroyed. All fishermen at the moment are unemployed. All hotels along the coastal areas from Aluthgama to Moratuwa are destroyed except one. A hotel in Katukurunda was refurbished after spending Rs. 340 million and was opened only on December 25. But the next day the hotel was completely damaged. The estimate for reconstruction in these areas is nearly Rs. 200 million. The strip of sand separating the land and sea is completely sunk and now the seawater is mixing with the river and hotels like Robinson Club have no access to the land. The tourists could go there only by boat. No tourists are found in these areas. The government does not yet have any plans to meet any of these demands even four weeks after the disaster.

Q: How does the opposition view the government's role in dealing with the tsunami devastation and its aftermath?

A: The President and most of the cabinet ministers were not in the country to face this disaster. The Prime Minister had to handle the whole situation alone. The minister in charge of tourism arrived in the country only last week because he did not want to sacrifice the pleasure he had in the USA. And the President totally dismantled the Prime Minister's programme and took over the entire disaster management to herself. She appointed a high-powered committee comprising of her kith and kin without any senior administrators or any others with technical know how to face this kind of disaster. Most of the members of the committee are from the private sector who have no knowledge of the common man's problems. This is how the imposition of a buffer zone in the sea areas came about.

This committee does not understand that with this 100 meter limitation a fisherman cannot do his day to day activities. Where will he anchor his boat? How will he transport the massive fishing nets and how will he find land 100 metres away from the sea? These are some of the practical problems faced by the fishermen. In the entire Kalutara District there is no land available on the seaside of the Galle Road. If the government wants to relocate the fishermen, they have to be relocated about 1 km away from the sea. Is this possible?

Q: What has the UNP done so far?

A: The international community, the NGOs and we are not satisfied with the government's programme because its main aim is to go ahead with mega projects, above helping humans affected by the disaster. The UNP leader said that the relief should benefit the individual victims of this disaster first and that we must try to develop the areas after ensuring that the victims are looked after well. Therefore, the UNP's working committee and the parliamentary group endorsed a relief programme prepared by the UNP leader. That has been handed over to the government and now the President says that they are preparing an action plan taking the UNP plan also into consideration. We will support any plan, which will benefit the people of this country. All our local government institutions have been directed by the leader to help clear the rubble in the disaster areas. Our leader has visited these affected areas and has visited certain areas twice to supervise the relief work.

Q: The tsunami while bringing people together has widened the divide between the LTTE and the government. What causes do you think led to this situation?

A: I think the government did not know how to manage its own propaganda business. The government failed miserably by trying to say the LTTE chief is dead. We learn this information had been leaked to the government by the so called military intelligentsia. The government seemed to enjoy the tsunami defeat of the LTTE for a few days and this antagonised the LTTE.

Secondly, the government made a foolish mistake by preventing Kofi Annan's visit to the LTTE areas. The people in the north and east will now understand that the government has no mercy towards them even during a disaster. Also the chauvinistic JVP visiting the north increased the anger of the people. So I believe these are the causes for the gap.

Q: Do you think Kofi Annan should have been taken to LTTE areas and if so why?

A: Definitely. Those who live in the LTTE areas are also our brothers and sisters and above all, citizens of this country. We have a responsibility to look after them. If we don't look after them at a moment like this, then it begins to show that the south is the cause for the north's demand for separation. When Kofi Annan visited Indonesia the Prime Minister of Indonesia first invited him to visit Aceh islands where there is a rebellion movement just like in the north of Sri Lanka. That government never restricted Kofi Annan visiting these areas, but promoted it, showing that this area also belongs to Indonesia. Therefore, the government in my view only exhibited its folly by doing this and became 'foolish' in the eyes of the international community.

Q: You have been critical of the government's relief programme. Why?

A: The government's only plan is to get more aid to spend for its own projects and not to manage the devastation. That is why all the aid money has been deposited in the President's Fund, which cannot be audited and which is totally controlled by the President and nobody could question the accountability of this fund. When one goes through the project plan to overcome the tsunami devastation which was presented to the international community, anybody can very well understand the motive of the government. The only suspicion is that the monies are deposited in the President's Fund. Why is this?

The next thing is the high-powered committee that consists only of President's friends. This project plan made by the committee has so many development projects, which have nothing to do with tsunami devastation. For instance, the second railway line from Kalutara to Hambantota, mega townships, the Inginiyagala power station, two thermal power stations - in Jaffna and Mullaithivu are all projects that have nothing to do with rebuilding the nation after the tsunami. And sadly no cabinet minister or any member of the All Party Tsunami Committee ever knew about these proposals until I pointed out this over the electronic media the other day.

Q: Then why is the opposition sitting with the government in this committee?

A: The main purpose of the opposition is to rectify the errors created by the government and also to oppose any corrupt activities by the government using state resources. The opposition's role is very important in an all-party conference. Our members highlight these things at the committee, but with all those objections the government tries to go ahead with its own plan. But still it is the duty of the opposition, being members of the all party committee to play an active role to check and balance the government's activities.

Q: The Tamil parties say the government has failed to send any relief items to LTTE areas. Is there any truth in it?

A: We have also received complaints from LTTE areas that the people have not received sufficient aid relief. When there is no coordination with the LTTE and other Tamil organisations, which represent the north and east, nobody knows whether the aid is going to these areas or not.

Q: How do you view the chances of the government and the LTTE resuming talks, especially after the controversy that followed Kofi Annan's visit?

A: Actually Kofi Annan could have been used to patch up the differences that existed between the government and the LTTE and to bring the LTTE to mainstream politics through this disaster. The government mismanaged the whole thing. This is a great loss to the nation.

Q: The Tourism Minister says the tsunami disaster is not a major blow to the tourism industry? How do you view this statement?

A: This Minister does not know how many hotels have been affected and how many have been destroyed and the state of affairs in the coastal belt where tourism is very popular. Still he has not found the time to visit those areas because he arrived in Sri Lanka only a few days back. Even if foreigners opt to return to Sri Lanka there must be a place for them to stay. Still the Minister could not meet the hoteliers affected by the disaster. The Tourism Minister has distributed apples to the disaster-affected people in Galle. This reminds me of Marie Antoinette who offered cake when people demanded bread.

Q: In the south we see the Marxist JVP trying to gain mileage out of this situation. Do you think this reflects badly on Sri Lankan politics?

A: It is good for any political party to get involved in the process of managing the disaster. But it should be out of party politics. At Dickwella in one of the centres, the JVP has created a controversy with a British High Commission official. They demanded for the stuff brought by the High Commission to be given to them. But it was refused. This was followed by a heated argument between both parties and I understand this has been reported to the international funding agencies. The international community is very well aware of the role played by the JVP. When a man was saved after 13 days without food or water the JVP claimed that it was they who found this man. Later it was found that this man was a bogus person who was not affected by the tsunami. So everywhere there is a common complaint against the JVP.

Q: President Kumaratunga in one of her addresses to the nation referring to the disaster has said nature has dealt with those fighting for nothing and justifies the disaster. How do you view her statement?

A: If nature was to swallow bad people then I think it is the President herself and her henchmen who should have been swallowed first. Also if the President wants the people to move 100 metres away from the sea, then I think this is well calculated to save herself from the second tsunami because President's House is well within 100 meters from the sea.