Police powers should be centralized – President
May 30, 2010 12:00 pm
I always say that police powers can’t be given to provinces, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told Indian Media. He added that there are too many issues. Look what happened during the Mumbai attacks, when it took so much time to get the commandos, because all kinds of clearances were required, He said.
That is why I feel that police powers on the island should be centralized.
Ten days ago,
It’s been a year since the defeat of the LTTE. Why do you think the movement
failed?
Everyone knows what was going on in the movement and the reasons for its failure are evident. It was on a self-destruct path. Their demand for a separate Eelam was always out of the question. We couldn’t have allowed that. But more importantly, the violence and bloodshed that had become their hallmark had to be stopped. I took a firm stand that this could not go on. We tried to negotiate with them but they refused. I had no other option but to take decisive action.
Is it a closed chapter now?
I won’t say that. The LTTE sympathizers, their sleeping
cadres are still there. They are being well looked after in various countries
as well. No, the chapter isn’t closed yet.
There were reports that over 20,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final
onslaught.
I don’t think this is correct. Sri Lankan forces are very disciplined and we
were extremely careful not to have civilian casualties. Prabhakaran’s father,
mother and his entire jing-bang were in our camps. If they were not harmed,
where is the question of civilians being targeted? Why should we kill
civilians? They are our people, after all.
You made a commitment to resettle all of the nearly 300,000 internally displaced
Tamil civilians in the North under a 180-day resettlement program. Has this
been achieved?
I am quite satisfied with the progress. From 300,000 people in the camps, the
number has now come down to almost 30,000. By the end of the year, we should be
able to demine most of the areas and get everybody back to their villages.
Did you get the support you expected from
Yes.
What kind of support was it — moral or military?
Both (laughs). We needed both.
Weren’t the Chinese more forthcoming about selling you arms?
Purchasing weapons is a military decision. We were fighting a war. We got
whatever was possible from
There are concerns in
There is no basis for such concerns. I have always maintained that
Recently, you had invited a few Indian cricketers to take treatment from
your personal physician, Dr White. Isn’t this a case of India-Sri Lanka
cooperation?
Yes, it is. In fact, Sachin Tendulkar has benefited a lot from Dr White’s
treatment and he has recommended it to others. If we can help them, why not?
You arrive in
We hope to discuss a number of issues. Economic development will be high on the
priority list.You recently said that you learnt a lot from India’s mistake in
handing police control to state governments. Is that an excuse for not
implementing the 13th Amendment, which provides for devolution of power to
Your detractors claim too many members of your family are in your
administration.
What can I do if the people elect them? Recently, the people gave a landslide
victory to one of my family members. So it is the people’s decision. The day
they don’t want them, they’ll kick them out.
After a hard day at the office, how do you unwind? Do you like watching
movies?
Yes, I watch Hindi films in the evening, to relax.
Which movie did you watch most recently?
Shahrukh Khan’s film “My Name Is Khan.” It has captured the discrimination of
Muslims in the West so well. I remember thinking after watching the film that
people who are accusing us of human rights violations are themselves doing so
in their own country.
Times of India