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Sri Lanka rejects demand for probe into rights violation

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, May 28, IRNA -- Sri Lanka has rejected demands from the global community for an independent probe into the alleged human rights violations during the last phase of the civil war, saying a commission appointed by the government will look into the issue.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said if the commission appointed by him points finger at anyone, even at his relatives, he will take action against them. "This is an internal matter. I don't want my internal matters to be inquired by any other country or any other NGOs. So we will look after that. That's why we appointed a commission so if there is any violations, we will see," he said, PTI reported quoting Rajapaksa’s interview.

In reply to a question on the reason why the Sri Lankan government was not allowing any independent body to investigate he said he was confident that the army did not commit any crimes.

"If it is a crime, whether it is my relation, or my army commander or anybody. It is immaterial. It's a crime, crime is a crime, so we have to punish them," he said.
Sri Lanka is under pressure from the global community to allow a UN agency to probe the human rights violations.

"You don't ask that from the Americans! You don't go and ask that of the British about Iraq, or Afghanistan or what is happening in Pakistan?", he said.

"Be fair with us. Don't treat Sri Lanka like this because we defeated terrorism. Unfortunately, other countries couldn't defeat terrorism yet, although we have done that," the President said.

Stressing that the security forces did not target civilians during the last phase of the 30-year-old civil war that saw the annihilation of LTTE, Rajapaksa said only LTTE rebels were killed. "I deny it (security forces killed innocent Tamils), because we never killed any civilians," Rajapaksa said. "If Sri Lankan army acted in a different way against the civilians, they would never have trusted us," he said.

He said more than 3 lakh civilians crossed over to the government controlled-safe zones from LTTE areas during the last phase of the civil war.

On allegations that Tamils were being marginalised, Rajapaksa said: "I don't agree with that, because some politicians are making these issues. Or some NGO's." On charges by sections of overseas Tamil diaspora that his government was not doing anything for the Tamil community in the Island nation, the President said the community had not even visited the main areas of North.

"Unfortunately, this is the problem, because they don't want to come back to Sri Lanka. They are enjoying themselves," Rajapaksa said.