Suraj A Bandara
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) expressed its disapproval on the allegations made against the Government in the three-member experts panel report of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on civilian casualties during the last stages of the humanitarian offensive against the LTTE.
SLFP General Secretary Minister Susil Premajayantha rejected the findings of the expert panel report saying it was biased. The Government safeguarded human rights and even served food and drinks to the enemy at the war front. The Security Forces were fully committed to protect human rights even in the battlefield, he said.
“This report is biased as well as prepared with the information supplied by pro-LTTE elements. The ulterior objective behind these allegations is to put war crimes blame on Sri Lanka,” he said. Though the committee was appointed to advise the UN Chief, they have fabricated these accusations without deeper observation, the Minister said.
There was no war in Sri Lanka. It was a humanitarian mission launched by the Security Forces to liberate civilians from the LTTE grip. The LTTE had been proscribed by many countries. The President, Defence Secretary and Security Forces have been the direct targets of these allegations which will endanger country’s soveregnity. The SLFP denounce this sinister effort and urge the public to rally behind the nation without differences to defeat this conspiracy. It is the patriotic forces’ responsibility to identify certain local politicians whose statements and functions directly persuaded to form this report.
It should not be the UN policy to create strifes again when all communities experience the true freedom in the country. With the war ending the country is marching towards development and a strong foundation has been laid to enhance the ethnic harmony. At a time like this the UN’s panel report will certainly attempt to divide the country again, the Minister said. It is all Sri Lankans duty to strengthen the President’s hand at this time and defeat all efforts to destabilize the country as we did in the past in defeating terrorists, he said.