Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) is deeply concerned over the escalating threat in Sri Lanka against opposition parliamentarians, social activists and members of socialist and democratic political parties.

PSM condemns the recent racist mob attack against United People’s Movement (UPM), led by Mervin da Silva, Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Labour. The violent attack happened on 9 January 2007 at Super Market Square in Nugegoda, when Mervin and his armed thugs disturbed a public event organized by UPM, and assaulted journalists who were present at the site to cover the event.

The UPM is a political platform that seeks to establish consensus among especially the Southern polity on a Federal System of Governance, as against war and any other undemocratic, non-negotiable conclusion to the on going NorthEast conflict.

We believe that the recent attacks against anti-war activists and people’s movement against the Sri Lankan civil war, are political motivated.

The daylight assassination of Nadaraja Raviraj, a member of Parliament for the Tamil National Alliance, on 9 November 2006, and dozens of death threats to Siritunga Jayasuriya of the United Socialist Party, are among the recent retrogressive development in Sri Lanka when Rajapaksa’s government engaged in civil war with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE).

PSM also denounce the enactment of Prevention of Terrorism Legislation that suspends civil rights and democratic freedoms and allows citizens to be “disappeared” by the police with virtually no recourse to legal representation.

PSM demands President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate action:
– to stop all threats to the safety and lives of anti-war activists and opposition members;
– to stop attacks on democratic freedoms, human rights and the right of oppressed minorities;
– to take action against Mervin Da Silva for his ultra-chauvinist actions on 9 January;
– to halt military action and attacks against Tamil-speaking people and to enter negotiations for a just, democratic and peaceful resolution to the Sri Lanka national conflict.

Sri Lankan government must hold responsibility for displacement over 200 000 people by war in a year, denial of basic human requirement of 600 000 people from the minorities, nearly 5000 who have been killed within a year and nearly 2000 who have been made to disappear. Only a just, democratic and peaceful resolution, can put an end to this on-going genocidal war.

Released by,

Choo Chon Kai

International Bureau

Socialist Party of Malaysia / Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)

http://parti- sosialis.org/