Former President and Kurunegala district MP Mahinda Rajapaksa told Motoo Noguchi of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office of Japan that the appointment of foreign experts as judges exercising judicial power in respect of the Sri Lankan armed forces and other Sri Lankan citizens was at no time contemplated by his government because it was politically unacceptable to Sri Lankan people and also because it involved conflict with basic provisions of the constitution of Sri Lanka.
Motoo Noguchi of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office of Japan called on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at his residence this morning.
Noguchi expressed appreciation of the invitation which had been extended to him by the government of President Rajapaksa to serve in an advisory capacity to assist the Commission on Missing Persons headed by Maxwell Paranagama.
Rajapaksa specifically clarified that the intention of his government, in response to a written request by Chairman Paranagama was to secure for the benefit of the Sri Lankan commission the expertise of several international experts including Noguchi. He emphasised that the role of these experts was to serve as resource persons in dealing with complex issues of international humanitarian law and international human rights law which arose in the course of the work of the commission.
The Full statement issued by Rajapaksa’s media office on the meeting is published below;
Meeting between Mr Motoo Noguchi of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Japan and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mr.Motoo Noguchi of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office of Japan called on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at his residence this morning. The Former Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L Peiris was also present at the meeting. President Rajapaksa cordially welcomed Mr. Noguchi and referred to the warm and mutually supportive relationship between Sri Lanka and Japan and in particular the strong support which the government of Japan had extended to his government, especially with regard to the economy and trade relations.
President Rajapaksa and Mr. Noguchi discussed a range of issues connected with current initiatives regarding reconciliation and the way forward. Mr. Noguchi described his experience in the war crimes tribunal of Cambodia and the manner in which it was functioning.
President Rajapaksa, while appreciating his insights, pointed out the fundamental difference between the Sri Lankan and Cambodian contexts, and referred to the salient features of the Sri Lankan situation, the basic element of which was the eradication of terrorism and the availability of the opportunity today for all citizens of Sri Lanka irrespective ethnic identity, to live in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. He described in some detail the challenges which confronted his government and the strategies which he put in place to overcome them.
Mr. Noguchi expressed appreciation of the invitation which had been extended to him by the government of President Rajapaksa to serve in an advisory capacity to assist the Commission on Missing Persons headed by Mr. Maxwell Paranagama. President Rajapaksa specifically clarified that the intention of his government, in response to a written request by Chairman Paranagama was to secure for the benefit of the Sri Lankan commission the expertise of several international experts including Mr. Noguchi. He emphasised that the role of these experts was to serve as resource persons in dealing with complex issues of international humanitarian law and international human rights law which arose in the course of the work of the commission. He said that the appointment of foreign experts as judges exercising judicial power in respect of the Sri Lankan armed forces and other Sri Lankan citizens was at no time contemplated by his government because it was politically unacceptable to our people and also because it involved conflict with basic provisions of the constitution of Sri Lanka. Mr. Noguchi agreed that the best course of action was to have judicial mechanisms manned by Sri Lanka’s own nationals.
President Rajapaksa and Mr. Noguchi in the course of their cordial conversation discussed other issues of mutual interest.
Rohan Welivita
Media Secretary to
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Rizwan / October 21, 2015
The use of the word ‘President’ is highly irregular and I am sure illegal in some way. Can CT please take note!
Every single mention of the name of Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse should include the words ‘FORMER President’ in front or no honorific at all.
Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is acceptable. FORMER PRESIDENT Rajapakse is acceptable. President Rajapakse is wrong!
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Just saying / October 21, 2015
“MP for Kurunegala” would have been more accurate!
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mike / October 21, 2015
Just saying
“MP for Kurunegala would be more accurate”.
Former unlawful President of Sri Lanka, His Excellunacy Mahendra Percy Rajafucksa, a.k.a. Medamulana Meeharaka would be appropriate in addition to M.P. for Kurunegala!
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Native Vedda / October 22, 2015
mike
How about අල්ලස් මහින්ද, மாமூல் மகிந்த, Kickbacks Mahinda.
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Real Peace / October 22, 2015
What about “the father of a billionaire son”…..?
By the way, why is the ex-president shaking like mad about the foreign judges? .
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srilal / October 22, 2015
How about Mafia king !
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Seelawathi Bolamanike / October 22, 2015
This man Rajapakshe can speak fron one end today, and then with the other end tomorrow. He is shameless by all means. I have no idea why the man has not the least shame on anything. With a smile he can add things as if he did nothign wrong.
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NotSure / October 26, 2015
This was a point of contention when Madam Chandrika stepped down too. She wanted to be referred to as PResident Kumaratunge. It is the American/US tradition. Ex Presidents are always referred to as “President Carter” , “President Clinton” etc in all and every reference. So I am not sure if there is a problem unless there is explicit protocol against it. We all know President Rajapakse hated Chandrika madam and refused to let her use that title in reference to her. She was also petty wanting to be called that because Bill Clinton was her idol. A better reference would be President Emeritus meaning retired President but in MR’s case he LOST. Not sure if this is a big deal. the so called Account in Dubai is a big deal, not the term of reference to a defeated President. Both President Carter and President George H W Bush who lost to President Clinton are referred to as President.
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Piumi / October 21, 2015
MP Rajapaksha should be given only two Policemen for his security. He is only an MP in the present government and I am surprised as to why people call him President Rajapaksha!!. There cannot be TWO PRESIDENTS in this country We are really surprised as to why this YAHAPALANAYA is still providing him many security!! I fully agree with Rizwan he should be called ” Former President’ and treat him only as an MP now and no more.
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chris Subramaniam / October 21, 2015
Why is he worried about foreign judges?
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Sylvia Haik / October 21, 2015
Because foreign judges cannot be coerced or manipulated or harassed as he could do to local judges E.g. the admirable Shirani Bandaranayake who stood up to the Rajapakses and got impeached.
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Paisa Must Appah / October 21, 2015
“E.g. the admirable Shirani Bandaranayake who stood up to the Rajapakses and got impeached. “
Admirable? My bloody foot. Don’t forget she was dancing the merry Yakka with the JaraaPassas and even kissed the synthetic lawyer on his cheeks when he was made synthetic. What about the Trillium deal and other fiascos she was responsible for- even her husband NSB EPF frauds to which she turned a blind eye? Whats so admirable about this woman?
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nimal fernando / October 21, 2015
The purpose in all these war-crime denials is only one reason and one reason only; protection of Gota.
Sure, Gota protected Colombo from LTTE bombs by white-van-ing and dumping bodies in streams and paddy fields on mere suspicion.
Good or bad, truth be told, he is a serial killer, not just of Tamils but Singhalese too.
In some other countries he’ll be known as Son of Sam, Zodiac Killer, Jack the Ripper…….
In Sri Lanka we hold them in high esteem.
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srilal / October 22, 2015
Nimal fernando,
“The purpose in all these war-crime denials is only one reason and one reason only; protection of Gota”
You are wrong Nimal , it’s not only Gota , but MR and Basil as well.
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NAK / October 21, 2015
The Invitation to serve in the Paranagama commission as an advisor is now being twisted by that good for nothing mutt RW as an invitiation for foreign judges to sit in judgement.
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Non PhD / October 21, 2015
Did MaRa tell Motoo Noguchi he had some exclusion clauses for certain countries who were protectors of his regime at the UN ?
MaRa may well have told Noguchi that politicallying and constitutionally it was acceptable for him during his Executive Presidency term to give free hold land to China and also wouldn’t have minded a Chinese Judge.
What I’m concerned is did Noguchi told MaRa that he didn’t win the war on his own but with great support from wider international community from East and the West ?
Suddenly MaRa has become like JRJ. He has visited Ven Sobitha Thero at the hospital. Making Japanese Envoy and a Chinese Minister to see him.
It looks like lot of things are going on behind the scene to protect MaRa and his cronies.
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srilal / October 22, 2015
How ethical is to have a meeting with a potential judge to be with the main accuse ? why did’t this Noguchi character give second thoughts about the meeting ? what sort of signals do this meeting emanate to the public ?
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thondamanny / October 21, 2015
The whole purpose of the invitation extended to Motoo Noguchi is being twisted.
“The Invitation to serve in the Paranagama commission as an advisor is now being twisted by that good for nothing mutt RW as an invitiation for foreign judges to sit in judgement.” NAK
Now…. now… RW too is behaving like an idi.t. Taken us too as s.ckers.
Cut the nose to spite the face.
That is what the Yahapalanaya idi.ts have done.
China bashing to get even with MR………..in the process have insulted President XI who came for the innaugaration of the Port City Project.
Ravi.K is about to plead with China for relief on loan grants…
PAY BACK TIME. CHINA WILL DEMAND THE SHYLOCK’S POUND.
Will Ravi.K run to MR for redress or to the diaspora AS HIS friend rajaratman can not be contacted?
That voive ferocious Human Rights preacher to Sri lanka is on bended knees before the China President who is to doleout Pounds 20b in Investments & 50,000 jobs.
For Yahapalanaya its seems pea nuts as they promised to provide 1m jobs as stated during the election campaign.
Satellite villagers, VW factory and what not…………
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Simon / October 22, 2015
Did Noguchi offer the war criminal MR a prison room in Japan? Or dod he offer a seat in a Hitachi elecric chair ?
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Simon / October 23, 2015
Noguchi is repored in the Japense press as saying ” I suggested to Percy the Japanese optioj – Hara Kiri “.
But the Hitachi wanted to promote thier electric chair by rosted a much hated gliabal criminal.And that Percy has aleasy accepted a small bribe to sit on it.
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K.A Sumanasekera / October 22, 2015
Dear Mr ex President.
You should have vacated to Hambanatota, when MR Kurchner and Mr Milliband told you to release their friend Mr Pirahahparan and his 300,000 followers who were protecting him.
And allowed the same duo to do a deal with Batalands Ranil then , to take over greater Colombo.
And attach it to Mr Pirahaparan’s Eelaam, A K A ISGA which Mr Ranil offered him with the combined help and the assistance of the West.
Had you done that our great majority inhabitant population would have had a better standard of living than what they are facing now.
Plus most importantly they could have escaped the ultimate indignity and insult of having to bow down to those Imported Judges who come to find their sons and daughters guilty for War Crimes and beg mercy for liberating their Nation from Tamil Terrorists.
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curtis hellfire / October 22, 2015
Oh how things have changed in such a short time.
It was only a short time ago that our beloved leader was basking in the limelight of CHOGM. That long to be remembered publicity nightmare were a banana republic openly welcomed and promoted ridicule from the more advanced Countrys of the Globe.
Oh how giddy we were welcoming all these foreign dignitaries (or scum as we refer to the savage, barbaric foreigners in private )who had come to endorse and celebrate our heroic leader who rescued us from the nightmare of terrorism that we had nothing to do with creating (it was all a Western conspiracy foisted on poor old beautiful Sri Lanka) No sir nothing to do with us.
(X = 1956) (Y= 1972) (Z= 1978) = 1983 from then 26 years of civil war.
150,000 thosand dead and costing approx 230-290 BILLION Dollars
And now these Savage barbaric foreigners want to investigate how we annihilated and humiliated the entire Tamil community. These filthy foreigners just don’t understand that in this thrice blessed Isle, there is only one superior race, the Sinhalese. Everybody else is subservient Muslims, Tamils and especially know it all savage, filthy foreigners. How dare they come with their concocted ideas of good governance. They don’t understand our highly developed (over centuries) practices of good governance. We should be giving lectures to the Western conspirators on the magnificent benefits of Sri Lankan governance. Corruption, non accountability, no transparency, execution of dissenters, State sponsored murder, institutionalized racism, a controlled press. We are at the vanguard of promoting these values to the rest of the world. Our position in the World league table of enforced disappearances is witness to this. We are second only to Iraq in having our citizens disappear (that is of course a polite way of saying murder) !!!!
And yet they have the cheek to say that our Judges are corrupt. And worse still they want to appoint foreign Judges to sit in Judgement on our leaders who led the most magnificent humanitarian liberation of over 300,000 Tamils. How wonderful is that, liberating second class citizens and not one casualty.
They just don’t get it these Barbaric foreigners.
So yes Ex Mr President Mahinda Percy Rajapakse, you tell it straight to these filthy foreigners. You did whatever you wanted in this scepter-ed isle because the Sinhalese people wanted you to do everything you did and they loved you for it.
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Simon / October 23, 2015
Curtis if the SIngalese oeople loved Percy so much why did the not vite him in?
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mike / October 23, 2015
curtis hellfire
Good comment. Former unlawful President of Sri Lanka has a very limited knowledge of the English Language and it remains to be seen whether he will understand the sarcasm !
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Ponkoh Sivakumaran / October 23, 2015
Rajapakse government acknowledged that there was no expertise in Sri Lanka to handle issues of war crimes. He paid millions of dollars to the discredited Desmond de Silva and others so that they could give opinions that favor his views. State money was paid to advance a view that would favor potential accused before any war crimes tribunal that would be set up. Other experts from various countries are thanked in the preface to the report by Mr Paranagama. The report confirms that war crimes were committed by both sides.
In that context, if war crimes are to be tried credibly, it must be tried by an international tribunal. The second best solution is to have an hybrid court. The matter is out of Sri Lanka’s hand now as it joined in a resolution of the Human Rights Council and committed itself to a hybrid court, meaning a court with foreign judges.
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Diogenes / October 23, 2015
Mr.curtis hellfire, you say,”Sinhalese people wanted you to do everything you did and they loved you for it”! What a bloody fool you are? Are you “the Sinhalese people”? Did you want him to go on plundering the national wealth of this country? Did you tell him to impeach Shirani Bandaranayaka? Did you want him to imprison the War Hero Sarath Fonseka ? Did you tell him to…No. The list would be too long. You are a bloody disgrace to Sinhalese people!
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