(Text of speech by comrade Vickramabahu Karunarathna at the Hyde Park, Colombo on 29/11/2011)

Our country is suffering from misery and injustice. The time has comefor us to unite against the dictatorship and state terror.

The latest budget proposals has two components. Firstly, the allocation to the development process controlled by foreign powers is increased. Mahinda regime is controlled by US, India and other world powers. Mahinda the oppressor is controlled by two powerful women; Sonia and Hilary. The take over bill is to take over property of locals to be given to aliens.

The old left within the government describe it as nationalization. These are mad men who will give any fraudulent reason to support the reactionary dictator. But the left masses have left them and trade union protests are beginning. Secondly, the budget has allocated for the maintenance of the terror regime.

Sinhala chauvinist minority

The Government knows that except for the Sinhala chauvinist minority all are dissatisfied. Under the pretext of democracy state terror continues. What started in the northern Tamil areas has come down to every Sinhala area as well.

In fact the budget was passed by attacking the opposition MPs. Not only Fonseka but also many Tamil and Sinhala political prisoners are suffering in prisons.

Tamil prisoners who paid respect to dead Tamil liberation fighters were brutally attacked. Thousands of Tamil prisoners are kept without any court action. General Fonseka is kept imprisoned as he has the ability to destabilize the terror regime with his influence among soldiers. It is futile to think that he could be released by arousing Sinhala chauvinism. That will only enhance the governments' project.

We are in this protest because Ranil invited while agreeing to our slogans. We are ready to fight together against the terror regime of Mahinda. If anybody wants to be the leader he should come into the common struggle. In the course of the struggle people will chose the leader. All must come into the streets to over throw the dictatorial regime.