GTF-TNA-Norway-South Africa-Swiss-Solheim-GoSL London Talks: Mangala Makes A Statement To Parliament – Full Speech

June 12, 2015

Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Foreign Affairs has today made a statement in response to the question by Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala De Silva pertaining to the meeting of GTF and TNA.

We publish below the statement in full;

Honourable Speaker,

Mangala Samaraweera -Minister of External Affairs

I rise to respond to questions raised by the Honourable Leader of Opposition relating to the discussions that took place between the GTF and the TNA in London, and my presence there.

As the House is aware, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the 15th of May 2010.

The Report of the Commission was handed over to President Rajapaksa on the 15th of November 2011 and it was tabled for the attention of all the Members of this House, on the 16thof December 2011.

Honourable Speaker,

The Commission, having held wide ranging consultations with all communities across the country, made a series of recommendations.

They said that,

“Terrorism and violence have ended. Time and space have been created for healing and building sustainable peace and security so that the fruits of democracy and citizenship can be equitably enjoyed by all Sri Lankans. To this end, the success of ending the armed conflict must be invested in an all-inclusive political process of dialogue and accommodation so that the conflict by other means will not continue…”

The Commission went on to say, that,

“Based on what it heard from the people, the Commission is confident that the citizens are ready and willing to support consensual approaches advancing national interest, national reconciliation, justice and equality for all citizens, so long as the political leaders take the lead in a spirit of tolerance, accommodation and compromise.”

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