The leader of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) highlighted the role of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence in the genocide of Tamils in 2009 and it's ongoing role in the oppression of Tamils in the North-East.
In his parliamentary speech earlier this week, Gajan Ponnambalam recounted the final days of the Mullivaikkal genocide, carried out by the Sri Lankan state, which saw the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils.
The TNPF leader stated that during the final days of the armed conflict, government television channels reported that about 50,000 civilians had been brought across from LTTE controlled areas.
"I panicked because I knew that when the war started in LTTE controlled areas, there were over 460,000 civilians, These were government figures. Calaculations made by not only the TNA but all other responsible institutions that were monitoring the war knew that the numbers even at the very end were very large," Ponnambalam said.
"46,000 civilians were in the LTTE controlled areas when the war began but the government from the very inception were saying that there were only 70,000 civilians...food and medicine were only sent for 70,000 people."
"When you have a situation where a government lies about the numbers, where the government sends only a fraction of the populations worth of food and medicine in a war situation, what is the intention? Even on 16 May 2009, I personally am witness when I contacted Basil Rajapaksa and conveyed to the government that the LTTE was willing to lay down arms to allow the civilians across safely - that war was not stopped...Isn't it the intention to destroy in whole or in part? Isn't it that intention that is being demonstrated? This is the reality known to the Tamil people," he continued.
"Why is it that members so senior are being denied visas? Isn't it the duty of the government if the senior members are in fact innocent, to prove their innocence? Isn't it in your interest to do that?
"Agree to an international inquiry. If you have nothing to hide, then why do you shy away...For as long as you shy away, not only will your own image in the eyes of the international community be run down but you will continue to polarise society within this own country. The Defence Ministry is so polarised, as far as the Tamils are concerned, you should change the name of the ministry, the ministry should be called Tamil Genocide Ministry or anti-Tamil ministry, that is how we feel."
"Mahinda Samarasinghe boasted that Mahinda Rajapaksa didn't want to allow the civilians to come across when there were different countries, different individuals like myself, trying to intervene to save those civilians. President Rajapaksa didn't want those civilians to come across because Prabhakaran might escape. For one man, you chose to destroy thousands and thousands of lives, that is what is called war crimes. That is what is called genocide," he added.
Speaking about the deepening militarisation of the North-East, Ponnambalam said:
"The Defence Ministry has 20 divisions. Of the 20 divisions, 16 are based in the North-East. There are 6 headquarters, 4 are based in the North-East...Who is your enemy? You came here that it is only the LTTE that is your enemy but it is the Tamil people you're oppressing."
"In order to pursue your chauvinist and racist policies, you are creating precedcence today that is going to curse this country, curse it to the point that you might quite well destory us but you will destroy yourselves."
