The DAP has been always in the forefront of championing the interests of those who have suffered human rights violations. In September 2016 the party condemned the visit of the former Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapakse.
Hardly three months have passed, the BN government has again issued another invitation for the visit of Maithripala Sirisena, the current President of Sri Lanka and former defence minister in the Rajapakse government.
Sirisena is scheduled to spend three days in the country, from Dec 15 to 17, 2016. The Sri Lankan High Commission has already issued invitation for guests to attend the launching of the Sri Lanka Food and Cultural Festival to be launched by Sirisena at the Intercontinental Hotel, Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
Sirisena, who took over the presidency in January 2015, is expected to sign a number of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the Malaysian government in the areas of tourism, training and cooperation, plantations, culture, arts and heritage and in the field of youth development.
About three months back in September, the former president was invited to participate in the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) at the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Tamil groups organised protests against Rajapakse for being the person allegedly responsible for the ‘war crimes’ committed against Tamils in Sri Lanka before and in the aftermath of the civil war. During the protests the BN government was condemned for being insensitive to the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka and those Tamils who have supported the Tamil cause in the country.
Despite the displeasure shown by Malaysian Tamils, the BN government continues to ride roughshod over their feelings by inviting the current president, Sirisena.
Sirisena is no saint, he held the defence portfolio during the time of Rajapakse. He cannot pretend that he has no association with Rajapakse.
Lately, Najib Abdul Razak and his cabinet members have very vocal when it comes to the plight of the Rohingyas in Myanmar. Although the Rohingya issue is an international human rights issue, Najib has turned the whole matter into a religious one. But yet, it is the same Najib government that refused to debate the matter in the Parliament. Why this double-standard?
Obviously for Najib, the interest in the Rohingya matter is merely to win support from Malay-Muslims in the coming elections. That is all. The BN government or Umno has no interest in pursuing the human rights agenda for the Rohingyas or for other affected groups.
The DAP has always taken a strong stand when it comes to human rights immaterial of their ethnic or religious background. It was DAP that continuously raised matters on the sad and tragic plight of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The DAP condemns the BN government for being uncaring towards the sufferings of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The invitation issued to Sirisena to visit the country is a slap in the face of Indian Malaysians and their representatives who have supported the BN government for many years.
Despite the announcement of Sirisena’s visit, no Indian Malaysia leaders either in the MIC or in other Indian Malaysian-based parties have come out to condemn the visit.
P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai.
