(June 16, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The government needs a plan to create another Pillaiyan to control the North like in the East, says Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva in an interview with Sri Lanka Guardian at his Ministry last Tuesday evening (June 03). According to the Minister, the government will not be changing the constitution and is seeking a sustainable solution within a unitary state. He clams that, the APRC was a fiction. Here we publish the full text of the Interview.
by Nilantha Ilangamuwa with Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva
Q. We would like to first offer you our warm congratulations on your recent appointment as the chairman of World Health Organisation. You are the first Asian to be appointed to this prestigious post at the WHO. It is indeed a signal honour to you and to Sri Lanka. How do you feel about it?
A. Thanks very much to the Sri Lanka Guardian. Actually, the post as the WHO Chairman was given to me as a result of and in recognition of my long time committed service to the WHO. I began working with the WHO early in the 1980s.
Q. Now you are involved with a very tight work schedule. This interview is going on in the midst of concurrent arrangements and many other meetings. Please let me know how the President is feeling about your recent appointment. According to sources, key high level members of the government celebrated with cakes and things in the last few days.
A. Honorable President has much welcomed this appointment. Also key level government members and other officials were very happy and they have given their warm greetings to me. And opposition party members also wished me. I think this shows the honour was won by and bestowed on the whole country. It is a lot more than a personal gift to me.
Q. Could you tell me what the powers of the Chairman of the WHO are?
A. He or she is responsible for all appointments and projects in the WHO and is in charge of the budget of the WHO.
Q. What is reason this post was given to you?
A. Actually I was involved with the WHO in the early 80s; also I have given my full strength to the progress of the WHO in the past. I think the appointment was given to me as a result of those services.
Q. I would like to know about the health situation in Sri Lanka. How much do you want per year as the expenses of the sector?
A. Eighty nine billion Sri Lanka rupees.
Q. How many workers are working at the moment in this sector?
A. More than one lakh.
Q. Mr. Minister, here in Sri Lanka we are seeing the Government sector of the Health Services going down and the private sector going up. We see many doctors working in private hospitals while the government is paying them. I think they should be working in the Government hospitals during their duty hours whatever their involvement with the Private Sector. Do you have any reasonable solution to the existence of this medical mafia?
A. But here the situation of the heath Sector is far better than in many other countries in the world. In China and also India the situation is not as good as in Sri Lanka. We are allowing any patient to obtain medicine and medical treatment from government hospitals without charges.
Q. I am speaking of the country Sri Lanka not China or India. Here we have free medical facilities but do you think we have enough medicines for our patients? We all know how many doctors steal medicines from the hospitals for sale and use in their private clinics or hospitals. I can reveal details of many hospitals that have been doing this but our time is limited with your tight schedule. I need a clear answer to this inside game please.
A. I agree with your observations. I have tried to find a solution to this serious problem. But you know what happened when I introduced finger print machines to the hospitals. I need to create an effective health service in the Country. But here with so many active trade unions it is a challenge – they want to protect their rights without any concern for their responsibilities and the rights of patients. Some are even playing with the lives of people who are afflicted with many diseases and hospitals are being used to uplift private hospitals. We want to put a stop to this.
Q. I would like to change our topic given the time we have. You as minister at one time joined the peace talks under the Rajapaksha regime. What do you think of the present political developments in the country?A. The developments augur well for the Sovereignty of the Country. I believe we will find a sustainable solution soon – as soon as possible.
Q. It means the Government never stops the war against terrorism until terrorism is eliminated?
A. Of course we are speaking to them using language they can understand. In the past we tried to talk with them peacefully but they never allowed the talks to progress and were dreaming of a separate state.
We would welcome even today at this late hour V. Prabhakaran and his colleagues coming forward to join the political mainstream after handing over their weapons.
Q. According to a recent interview given by an LTTE official, they won’t talk with the Government without Norway back in the picture, and that this is not the time for peace talk. The latter position is the same thing with the government. But my problem is this: Who is responsible for the civilians lives we are losing day by day in the South as well as in the North? Aren’t you – the government – working as a terrorist group when you do not care for the civilian lives lost?
A. Not at all! We have the right to protect all Sri Lankan lives and exercise this right assiduously. Yes, we attack the LTTE but never civilians like the LTTE terrorists do. After launching this war they want to stop this war because they have lost six districts out of eights within the past two years. On the one hand they are making psychological warfare using Colombo-based NGOs, while on the other they are attacking civilians and trying to create communal riots.
Q. Which NGOs?
A. So many NGOs. I can’t say their names.
Q. But you can’t deny that many people were recently abducted and killed by some groups operating in Colombo?
A. Many NGOs and other opposition parties blame the Government over the abductions. But why can’t they come forward and send to the security forces the details they claim to have of who is responsible? Why is their talking limited to the newspapers?
Q. Please let me know the solution to the North and East. There are so many people in the area facing brutal war. When will your government unveil your solution?
A. First thing we wanted to do was to finish off LTTE terrorism from the country. After that we want to find a good solution to the North like the East. Now we have introduced Pillaiyan as a Symbol of Democracy in the East. Its will be a model for our next step.
Q. You want to build up another Pillaiyan for the North when you eliminate V. Prabhkaran and his colleagues?
A. Yes.
Q. Mr. Minister, It means you are never going to change your policies for the reform of the constitution. It would seem that the unitary state will be the basis for finding a permanent solution to the problem.
A. Yes of course.
Q. Then the APRC proposal is fictitious?
A. Yes, we can’t accept the APRC proposal. It should be changed to conform to the Mahinda Chinthana policy.
Q. But the APRC was chaired by your government minister appointed by the President.
A. The appointment itself was not bad but the result was not a suitable match for the country’s problems. We want to indefinitely stop this war; we won’t be making slighting answers or short-term solutions to our problems.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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