Public urged not to be deceived by TNA’s opposition to ONUR law

FNO says Geneva Road Map progressing rapidly, consequences catastrophic

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Secretary to the Federation of National Organizations (FNO) Dr. Wasantha Bandara yesterday (10) urged the public not to be deceived by Tamil political parties’ refusal to back the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) Bill.
Parliament adopted the new law on Tuesday with 48 MPs voting for the Bill, while seven opposed.
Dr. Bandara alleged that was a joint government and Tamil parties’ strategy to hoodwink the people. Pointing out that some members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) aka Ahila Ilankai Thamil Congress (AITC), had been among those who voted against the Bill, Dr. Bandara found fault with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs for failing to take a stand against the separatist agenda.
The enactment of the new law is meant to give legal teeth to the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) that had been established during yahapalana administration in terms of the Geneva dictates, Dr. Bandara said.
The FNO dismissed concerns expressed by a section of the civil society regarding ONUR Bill as mere propaganda. “They are always looking for an opportunity to appease their sponsors.”

Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera’s effort on behalf of the FNO to convince the members of Parliament to oppose the Bill had been in vain, Dr. Bandara said. Asked whether the FNO intended to step up the campaign against what the grouping called Geneva Road Map, Dr. Bandara said that three of the offices that had been mentioned in the Geneva Road Map were set up beginning with the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) on Aug 2016, followed by Office of Reparations in Oct 2018.

Dr. Bandara said that with the enactment on the ONUR law, the government was in a position to appoint a Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation through an Act of Parliament. According to him, once the Parliament enacted that law, the war-winning military and the then political leadership would have to face the consequences.

Dr. Bandara said that in addition to the Bills that had been enacted and the proposed law to set up a Truth, Unity and Reconciliation Commission, Sri Lanka approved three other Bills in line with the Geneva Road Map.

The FNO spokesperson said that regardless of continuing political uncertainty President Wickremesinghe had proceeded with the Geneva Road Map.

Responding to The Island queries, Dr. Bandara said that the President was most likely to present the relevant Act soon. Had President Gotabaya Rajapaksa heeded our warnings, the Geneva Road Map could have been averted, Dr. Bandara said, disclosing that he, on behalf of the FNO on January 11 last year, explained the Western strategy to undermine the government. Interested parties targeted the then Army Commander General Shavendra Silva and Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne to unsettle the military ahead of the US-backed public protest campaign to oust that government, Dr. Bandara said.