Responding to a question on the actions of the Bodu Bala Sena over the past few days, the President said that no one, not just bikkhus, is above the law.  He added that a special Police Unit is going to be formed and subsequent to training will be deployed to ensure that religious harmony is maintained.  

 

The IGP N.K. Illangakoon, who was also present, admitted that there were incidents where followers of other religious faiths had been implicated in disruptive activity, but said that actions was taken to bring culprits to book.  

 

Speaking further on religious harmony, the President said that he will be meeting with all relevant groups individually in order to ascertain grievances and resolve them.  

 

 

Speaking on the recent attack on UNP parliamentarians in Hambantota, the President reiterated that no one is above the law.  He pointed out that politicians using strong-arm tactics or being subjected to attack are not a new phenomenon, citing numerous incident where prominent politicians were beaten up.  

 

'The Speaker was attacked at Deduru Oya; I think you all wrote about it.  I myself have been beaten up and subjected to tear gas attacks.  Dinesh Gunawardena was beaten up. The difference is that on such occasions it was the police that carried out the attack -- out of uniform.  Colvin was also beaten up by the Slave Island police. Then there was an ex-Minister who got people beaten up by thugs wielding kurundu polu '

 

The President, however, in no uncertain terms said that this state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue.  The IGP added that the initial investigation has been completed and a full report will be submitted to court on July 2, 2014.  

 

In a lighter vein the President opined that perhaps the UNP MPs should have been accompanied by the gamae aya (or locals).  'Why couldn't they have gone with Sajith or Wedaarachchi?' he asked. 

 

He refuted the claim made by some UNPers that the MPs were attacked in a 'high security zone'.  

 

'That's not a high security zone.  We have only a few high security zones left in the country, but these are not in this areas.'

 

He then said that some claim Hambantota is an 'uncleared area' and laughingly said 'it will take them some time to clear them!'  

 

The LTTE 'resurgence,' demilitarization and reconciliation

Responding to a question about the operations to apprehend a group seeking to revive the LTTE being just a a pretext not to remove army camps from the North, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said, 'we have clearly stated that we will not remove these camps'.

 

Speaking further, he said that whether or not there's an LTTE resurgence, these camps will remain. 

 

'More than 70 camps have been dismantled.  The ones that remain are necessary.  Where do you want me to put them?'

 

He pointed out that the LTTE, in its infancy, was doing just what this particular group led by Gobi and Appan were doing, putting up provocative posters and such.  

 

'In this instance, don't forget that a policeman was shot and wounded. We are not taking this lightly. Remember also that over 13000 LTTE members have been released to society.  We took a risk there.  It is a risk we have to take.  I firmly believe, as Sirimavo Bandaranayake did in the post-1971 scenario that rehabilitation is best done by society and not by the government.  We can't be fighting forever.  But we will continue to be alert.'  

 

Responding to questions over tendentious statements made by certain TNA politicians such as Suresh Premachandran, the President said that they sometimes hid behind parliamentary privileges: 'We have to be circumspect in these things.'

 

'If I took firm action, then you people might write that I am being dictatorial,' he quipped.

 

Elections as and when the Opposition wants them

The President quashed rumors about a presidential election being held before his current term ended. 

 

'I am not in a hurry.  I have a few more years.  However, if the opposition wants it, I am ready to go for an election.'

 

'A presidential election or a parliamentary election?' he was asked.  

 

'Either.  whatever they want.  Anytime,' he answered. 

 

 

When asked about NGOs that operate without any oversight by state authorities, President Rajapaksa observed that many who preach transparency and accountability are not themselves transparent nor accountable.  

 

Minister of External Affairs, Prof G. L. Peries, himself an expert on constitutional affairs, explained that many NGOs don't follow audit procedures. When he said that the relevant laws ought to be changed, President Rajapaksa quickly interjected, 'ehenam eka hadanna (in that case amend them [the laws]).' (Courtesy: The Nation)