Sri Lanka has been turned into torture camps, not Singapore; MP Sreenesan
11-Sep-2025.
While claiming to transform Sri Lanka into Singapore, they have instead turned it into a country of torture camps. Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa granted a presidential pardon to an individual linked to the Mirusuvil massacre.
This shows that racist actions have been excessively carried out. Granting such individuals a life of high privileges leaves no room for equality or equal rights. Build up the livelihoods of the people — only then will the country truly develop, said Batticaloa District ITAK MP Gnanamuthu Sreenesan.
He expressed these views in Parliament on September 10 during the debate on the Presidential Privileges (Abolition) Bill.
Further, he said:
The executive presidential system was introduced by J.R. Jayewardene, after which eight presidents have ruled the country. We see this system as one that inserted authoritarianism into a democratic framework. What benefits has this system brought us? For us, the real issue is not the removal of privileges, but the very existence of the presidential system itself.
Even now, when we dig the soil, we find mass graves. Over 230 skeletons were uncovered in Chemmani. This situation prevailed even during the time of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, not only in the North but also in the East.
Now, not just human remains but even narcotics are being unearthed from graves. The executive presidential system is at the root of this, and we believe it should be completely abolished from the Constitution. Likewise, former presidents should not enjoy excessive luxuries.
A president is the head of the state, government, administration, and armed forces. With all this authority, has this country developed? J.R. Jayewardene promised to make Sri Lanka into Singapore, but instead torture camps were built. Numerous mass graves were created by those in power. Even narcotics are now being uncovered from such graves.
For example, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, during his presidency, pardoned a person convicted of involvement in the Mirusuvil killings. This highlights the scale of racist activities.
Providing such individuals with a life of supreme privileges leaves no room for justice or equality. Uplift the people’s livelihoods — only then will the country achieve true development, he stressed.
