18.2.2008
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
President of Sri Lanka
Interview With Mahinda
Rajapakse
In the past few months, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse
seems to have come into his own. His defence forces are
notching up successes against the LTTE, he has fended
off attempts to have his Government defeated in Parliament
and is one step ahead of his rivals by announcing a devolution
package for the Tamils. In an exclusive interview in his
Temple Trees office in the heart of Colombo, a confident
Rajapakse spoke to India Today Managing Editor Raj Chengappa
about what he sees as the challenges ahead. Excerpts:
Q.
Do you want to get Prabhakaran dead or alive?
A. Alive. For the crimes he has done, he needs to be tried
and I would like to send him to India too for he killed
a leader who would have changed the face of not just India
but the whole region.
Q.
Why did you decide finally to end the five-year-old Ceasefire
Agreement (CFA) between the Government and the LTTE?
A. When the CFA was introduced in 2002, I was leader of
the Opposition and the first one to speak out against
it. When I became the President, I said I will try to
negotiate with the LTTE, talk to them and achieve peace
to settle the issue. But it did not mean that I approved
of the CFA. But they went on a killing spree, not only
attacking our army commander, the defence secretary, who
is my brother, but also began targeting civilians and
children. I wanted the killing to stop. They had violated
the CFA so often that it had become a farce. So I decided
to end it.
Q.
What makes you so confident of taking on the LTTE in an
all out war now?
A. Either the LTTE accept a political solution by giving
up arms and terrorist activities or we will have to curtail
their moves. The Government can’t kneel down to
terrorists. Since I came to power we have cleared the
eastern and western provinces of LTTE control.
Mahinda
RajapakseThey are now restricted to just one-and-a-half
districts. From top to bottom the Government is committed.
There is greater coordination between the Government and
the defence forces which helps our cause.
Q.
If the LTTE comes back to the negotiating table, will
you talk?
A. Yes, only if they give up their weapons. They can’t
have their cake and eat it too. Ceasefire will give them
time again. We don’t want them to strengthen themselves
and attack us. We want a final solution.
Q.
If the LTTE doesn’t come around, how long will it
take to wipe them out?
A. We would have cleared them out of the remaining areas
long ago but we also had to ensure no civilians were killed.
I would say, in a year and a half, we might be able to
do it.
Q.
The LTTE’s counter strategy seems to be to attack
civilians.
A. It is a desperate move in the hope that the international
community will put pressure on the Government. They can’t
achieve anything.
Q.
Inflation is running high. Do you think people are willing
to pay the price of war?
A. People will understand. A recent survey done by a rival
paper did show that they supported me on the development
work that I am doing.
Q.
So will there be no cut in the defence budget?
A. The money we are spending on defence is not high. It
is 3.5 per cent of the GDP. I believe no country can afford
to compromise on its defence.
Q.
When you took over as President in 2005 you said that
you expected India to do a lot. Has India lived up to
your expectations?
A. India’s approach has been very positive and encouraging.
Our relationship is now probably at the best of levels.
Q.
But India is not willing to sell your Government offensive
arms to fight the LTTE.
A. We can buy arms from anywhere, but we can’t buy
a good friend. And that is what we need. India is a power
in this region. It is very strong and can do a lot to
develop the neighbouring countries. Not just Sri Lanka,
but also others. India is with us and they have showed
us their support.
Q.
The EU and other countries have alleged human rights violations
by your Government during the conduct of war.
A. There are a few allegations in the East. We enquired
into all such allegations but no one was even willing
to file a complaint to begin action. We have appointed
a commission of eminent persons to look into all the allegations
but we need a complaint, evidence and witnesses to do
justice in such cases. We will take action.
Q.
Coming to a political solution, the All Party Representative
Committee (APRC) to go into a package to solve Tamil grievances
has recommended the implementation of the 13th Amendment
of the Constitution done in 1987 that wanted power to
be devolved to the provinces. Why should the Tamils accept
something that was offered to them 20 years earlier?
A. Why shouldn’t they? It was never implemented
because the parties that agreed to it—the LTTE and
the then government—fell out soon after that. I
believe it is a good way to begin. We should first start
something we can implement. I don’t need twothirds
majority in Parliament to do it. So it’s a beginning.
The APRC can then give me some new proposals and we can
consider them too. But I don’t want to waste my
time on solutions that are not practical just to satisfy
the international community. They may look good on paper
but will be burnt in Parliament. There will be riots.
Q.
How quickly do you see the package implemented?
A. I have already appointed an Advisory Cabinet Committee.
I am waiting for their report. As soon as I get the report,
I will implement it.
Q.
You had also said that you would give the Tamils more
than just the 13th Amendment.
A. I am waiting for the proposals to be given to me by
the committee to decide. Meanwhile, let us implement something
that had the blessings of all—the then government,
the LTTE and all other Tamil parties. Something that Rajiv
Gandhi had helped get under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
of 1987. In addition I have already started taking steps
to ensure the implementation of the official language
policy by promoting the learning and usage of Tamil in
administration. I am also recruiting Tamils in the police.
Don’t think we are only fighting the terrorists.
Q.
Do you have consensus among the Sinhala parties to implement
it?
A. How can the UNP oppose this when its own government
had passed the 13th Amendment. Only the JVP (Janata Vimukthi
Peramuna) is the problem. But let’s not forgot that
the JVP has asked for more powers for the provinces and
even participated in Provincial Councils.
Q.
Why don’t you hold a referendum in the liberated
Eastern districts to decide whether they should join the
North as envisaged in the Accord?
A. Why should I? If you go now to places like Batticalao
you would find they oppose it. I will not have this country
divided.
Q.
Why not have a federal system like India?
A. Federalism is out—just don’t talk about
it. Historically the word is suspect and is linked with
separatism. Maximum devolution under a unitary government
is the mandate that I have got and I am going to implement
that.
Q.
Your party doesn’t have a twothirds majority in
Parliament. Will you go for elections to implement it?
A. I don’t need two-thirds majority in Parliament
for what has been proposed. When the need arises I certainly
will.
Courtesy - India
Today