Aragalaya will drag Sri Lanka into chaos and anarchy : Weerawansa

Foreign governments fund these factions through numerous projects

There isn’t a political argument in this Aragalaya anymore

People have the right to demonstrate peacefully anytime, anywhere

We voted in favour of the emergency regulations because we are in favour of the State, not because we are in favour of anybody

I would like to mention that if the emergency regulations hinder the people’s fundamental rights, we will not vote in favour of the emergency regulations in the next parliamentary vote

If the strugglers continue to struggle to evict everyone that comes to power, we will not be able to do anything. A State will not remain if we move in this manner; it is a grave situation

Until July 9, it was a people‘s protest; that is why I was silent as people were demanding their rights. There was a fair crowd crying with righteous indignation. But now, this is a business

Speaking at an emergency debate in the parliament MP Wimal Weerawansa boldly accused certain factions of the Aragalaya, which successfully ousted the seventh executive President of Sri Lanka, is now operating with the sole objective of dragging Sri Lanka into chaos and anarchy. He further claimed that foreign governments had funded these factions in Aragalaya through numerous projects. 

In that background, Daily Mirror sat with MP Wimal Weerawansa to discuss his unproven allegations on a historical movement of the people.

Q From being one of the most vociferous critics of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, now you seem to be warming up to him, as seen by your support of the emergency regulations. Why the change now?
At this moment, even if the President were Dullas Alahapperuma or Gotabaya Rajapaksa, we would have done the same thing. We voted in favour of the emergency regulations because we are in favour of the State, not because we are in favour of anybody. Because we are now in an age where the State is collapsing, thus we have to put an end to this. We understood the situation from a mature political angle instead of a narrow one. Therefore, I believe that we took the most needed decision at this hour. 

But also, I would like to mention that if the emergency regulations hinder the people’s fundamental rights, we will not vote in favour of the emergency regulations in the next parliamentary vote.

Q Does this mean you will no longer be part of the broad opposition coalition?
Why cannot the opposition be in favour of the emergency rules? We have clearly stated in a document to the President how an All-party government should be formed. If he does not adhere to the proposal we have put forward, there will not be any contribution from our side. I am a part of the broad opposition coalition, but that does not mean that we cannot be in favour of the emergency regulations at an hour when the State is collapsing. We cannot let the State be destroyed, claiming that we are the opposition. 

Q During your recent parliamentary speech, you claim that the goal of a faction of the “Aragalaya” is to push the country towards Anarchy. Who is this faction?
Initially, the Aragalaya was focused on “Gota Go Home”. That movement was a success, so how can there be an Aragalaya now? “Gota Go Home” has happened, but there are some factions continuing the Aragalaya that want to see the State destroyed. I clearly elaborated in the parliamentary speech that certain foreign organisations are funding certain YouTubers and lawyers with vested interests to carry on the project of destroying the State and leading the country to a state of Anarchy. There isn’t a political argument in this Aragalaya anymore. If the strugglers continue to struggle to evict everyone that comes to power, we will not be able to do anything. A State will not remain if we move in this manner; it is a grave situation.  
Earlier, there was “ Aragalakaruwo”, but now there is “ Arajikaruwo.” 

Q On what basis do you say foreign powers fund the “Aragalaya”? Where’s the evidence? 
Many of the operations launched by America’s CIA (CIA) since 1970 to politically destabilise countries worldwide have now been revealed to the world.

But the secret operations established by the CIA around 1983 under the name NED (National Endowment for Democracy) and the operations funded by the American aid organisation known as USAID (United States Agency for International Development) have not yet been revealed to the world. However, it has been revealed that the NED organisation runs 2,000 projects in 100 countries worldwide. In the name of promoting democracy, they pump money into non-governmental organisations to politically destabilise those countries and eventually bring about regime change.

Since May 2014, NED has been funnelling money to the Government Bar Association of Sri Lanka. NED has pumped 1,046,156 US dollars for 15 projects of 15 institutions in 2021 alone.

From 2016 to 2020, NED pumped $9,123,573 for 117 approved projects.
I will mention a few of them and present a list of organisations in Sri Lanka that are engaged in covert operations to overthrow the government with American funds. I will also reveal the details of the number of dollars they have received.

Q So, do you claim that the Aragalaya was funded since the beginning? Wasn’t it a people’s uprising, as we all can see? 
Until July 9, it was a people‘s protest; that is why I was silent as people were demanding their rights. There was a fair crowd crying with righteous indignation. But now, this is a business. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has gone home; why should the Aragalaya now continue? 

Ordinary citizens are now focused on the economic Aragalaya because they do not earn from the Aragalaya. We are facing the worst economic crisis since independence; we should fight that now. If the Aragalaya continues further, we are destined to collapse as a Nation State. If we stay silent, we will become a generation that watched a great crime and did nothing.

Q What’s a peaceful protest according to you? Even Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent protests at one point erupted into violence due to the sheer volume of protesters.
People have the right to demonstrate peacefully anytime, anywhere. But to say they would force leaders to resign on the 9th of every month is nothing but a ploy to push the country into chaos. This is not a children’s playground, but these are real people’s livelihoods we are discussing.

Q Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has called on people to come to Colombo on August 9 to continue the struggle to force the rulers to step down. What do you think of this? Is it a lost cause?
Sarath Fonseka is the Sri Lankan Selinsky. People should flock together every 9th until the crown falls on his head. He is hiding behind the Aragalaya until he can achieve his personal goals, which is to be throned as king. 

Q Are you in favour of an All-Party Government? Or should this present arrangement continue till 2024 and then go for an election?
We favour an all-party government; for that to occur, an all-party convention must be called, and a minimum consensus agreement must be reached. Then an all-party government can be formed to implement this minimum consensus agreement. 

On the other hand, the country should have the fuel to go for a general election. But unfortunately, we cannot go for an election in the current dysfunctional state. To solve this, we brought the CEO of a Russian state corporation to Sri Lanka. They have sent us a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). If we agree to the MOU, they will provide a maximum annual credit facility of $300 million per month to import fuel. 

For example, this year’s January payment can be made in next year’s January while receiving the following year’s January quota. But the CPC opposes this proposal. And the other fact is that we would receive this credit facility at a 15% - 35% lower price than the average market price. Solving the energy issue is the primary requirement for making the country functional before an election.

Q BASL presented a set of proposals to the President, and many in the “Aragalaya” advocated for them. What is your view of the demands, especially about abolishing the executive presidency and holding parliamentary elections next year?
With regard to abolishing the executive presidency, we agree with it on certain conditions. The executive presidency shouldn’t be removed without passing the necessary supporting reforms. If we remove the roof of a house, the house will become inhospitable. Before removing the executive presidency, the electoral system should be changed to a divisional system. Otherwise, a proportional parliament representation will not be possible. In addition, the provincial election system must be amended because, if not, the role of a governor is questionable. So these issues must be resolved first. Without resolving these, we cannot jump into abolishing the executive presidency.

Q Where did the Aragalaya go wrong as per your claim? After infiltration of FSP, IUSF and JVP elements?
The Aragalaya was overdosed, “overdosed” is the perfect word to define the State of Aragalaya now. If Anura Kumara or Kumar Gunaratnam thinks that the entire set of people in the Aragalaya will vote in favour of them, they will soon realise that it is not the ground reality. This was a people’s struggle, but with the passage of time, this became a business. 

Q Is the Aragalaya over? Could there be another people’s uprising again to oust President Ranil Wickremesinghe? 
At this stage, people aren’t interested in joining the Aragalaya every day because the Aragalaya does not generate any income for ordinary citizens. The risk of another uprising increases with each passing day as President Ranil Wickremesinghe fails to provide the necessities such as fuel and power. The country will return somewhat to normalcy if the fuel crisis is resolved. We have given practical solutions to the government needed to solve the prevailing issues. If they don’t put them into action, another uprising can happen. 

Q People have a very negative perception of MPs and the Parliament. How can this be addressed?
In my opinion, the idea of “No to all 225 “is not the majority opinion of the people. Anyhow, we as MPs must also consider why politicians have become repulsive to the people. We should evaluate the situation and cater to the needs of the people. To overcome this, we must do a self-evaluation. But profoundly, the crisis lies within the economic debacle, which has turned into a personal grudge toward politicians.