Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is shocking and outrageous that Senator Lee Rhiannon of the Greens made a statement in this parliament on 26 November 2014 which demonstrates that one of the senators of this parliament commemorated the brutal terrorist leader Prabhakaran, who not only killed innocent civilians but killed democratically elected politicians in Sri Lanka.

As the members of this parliament are aware, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam commemorate the birthday of the leader of the LTTE, Prabhakaran, to coincide with Martyrs Day on 27 November each year. This is being celebrated by the LTTE supporters, who are continuing to promote separatism and radicalism in Sri Lanka after the defeat of the LTTE militarily more than nine years ago.

Sri Lanka fought a brutal, horrific, savage and barbaric LTTE outfit for over three decades, at huge human and material cost. The LTTE terrorists utilised innocent children for their cause as child soldiers and introduced cyanide capsules and suicide bombing to the world, using men, women and children to destroy economic, commercial, religious and public facilities. During the period of 30 years of conflict, the LTTE killed a number of democratically elected Sri Lankan leaders—including one President, seven cabinet ministers, 37 members of parliament, one presidential candidate, 10 political party leaders and the former foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar—and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. They used 300,000 innocent civilians as human shields for military advantage, preventing them from escaping to safe areas. It is also known that they used heavy weapons to brutalise and to terrorise during the move to divide Sri Lanka, challenging the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. They also killed over 12,000 innocent civilians, killed 1,200 and wounded 2,500 Indian peacekeeping forces, and killed 27,000 and wounded 87,000 Sri Lankan military police. In 1990, 600 surrendered policeman were brutally murdered in the east of Sri Lanka by the LTTE.

As we witness how the world is shocked by the atrocities of ISIS, while we condemn its brutal terrorist leaders, some Australian parliamentarians are commemorating terrorist leaders, which is shocking and a clear display of double standards. Under the circumstances I urge Senator Lee Rhiannon to make a public apology regarding her disgraceful and dishonest statement on Sri Lanka in this parliament. That is just untenable when, in the post-conflict era, Sri Lanka is positively progressing and people are enjoying a dividend of peace. The statement made by Senator Lee Rhiannon is unacceptable as she is supporting the LTTE while castigating the democratically elected President of Sri Lanka, which clearly creates disharmony and division amongst Sri Lankans in a peaceful Sri Lanka.

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