19 March, 2024

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Yahapālanaya Wants More Time To Probe War Crimes; Samaraweera To Make Request This Month

Foreign minister Managala Samaraweera who will attend the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva this month, will request for more time to probe war crimes.

Foreign minister Samaraweera

Throwing a party to the members of Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Sri Lanka on Tuesday night Samaraweera told them that while his government will not go back on its pledge, the government required more time specially in the setting up of the necessary judiciary mechanisms to probe alleged war crimes committed during the final stages of the war between the military and the LTTE.

The foreign minister said that he will seek for more time from the UNHRC when he attends the sessions this month. However, he was unable to say how much longer the government will require to set up the necessary judiciary mechanism to probe the war crimes, which according to UN estimates killed at least 40,000 civilians during the final stages of the war that ended in 2009.

Samaraweera’s call for more time however comes just days after former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga ruled out the involvement of courts to probe war crimes. Kumaratunga, who is also the head of the Office for the National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) said that what is urgent now is to bring in a new Constitution and to establish the Office of the Missing Persons, and therefore due to these initiatives there won’t be a necessity to have courts to probe war crimes.

The involvement of foreign judges in the war crimes probe has been emphasized by the United Nations to ensure there is independence in the process. However, while Samaraweera has said in the past that international participation is necessary in bringing justice to the victims of war crimes, President Maithripala Sirisena has been adamant to not involve foreign judges in such a process.

In November, Sirisena sought US President Donald Trump’s assistance to pressure the United Nations Human Rights Council to drop war crimes charges against the Sri Lanka military.

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Latest comments

  • 6
    5

    “President Maithripala Sirisena has been adamant to not involve foreign judges in such a process”.

    In denying justice to the victims of torture they are all same, MR, MS, CBK or RW. They know the truth, massacring of children, women and killing of surrendered and arrested suspects. They want this problem to continue so that their descendants can win elections and the poor masses can be cheated with communal hatred.

    Sri Lankans can only wake up to truth, conciliation and peace when they reach the bottom with mounting debts and deepening of poverty. The elitist leaders do not care about the poor and the poor do not learn the cunningness of their leaders. They deserve each other.

    Good men and women are shouted down and the power hungry and selfish families of greed and twisters are elected to power. They believe the opportunists and reject the people of honesty and integrity. They are plain and obvious facts when you compare other countries in the region.

    The problems this government faces are those created by the previous one by initiating and promising things like implementation of 13++, encouraging private education like SAITM, massacring the civilians, journalists and surrendered during and after the war, debts to build white elephants such as Mattala Airport and Hambantota Harbour and bribes, swindling of public money to hoard in foreign banks, wasting of borrowed money in giving away to relatives and friends and many more… How can they do justice when the crimes are mounting and the leaders worked hands in gloves?

    • 1
      2

      Saro, you have summarised the issues very well and I share your grievances.
      We thought that the NEW GoSL is going to do the RIGHT things.But it is not doing so.
      We do need all three–New Constitution, Office of the Missing Persons AND the Courts to probe War Crimes.
      The past history of all the GoSL over the last 69 years, indicate these will not materialise.

    • 6
      2

      LOL those who want to work against the legitimate Sri Lankan army for defeating LTTE talking about communal hatred.

      When whole 20 million people are victims of the LTTE terrorism funded and aided by Diaspora LTTEs, selecting a mere human shield of LTTE and asking to prosecute SLA is the one fueling communal hatred.

      • 6
        1

        It is a shame that we could not find out from LTTE computers, who individually funded LTTE, We could initiate individual civil law suites, for these individuals in respective country. More than winning these names should be published so everyone knows who they are and for the misery they created for millions of Sinhalese and Tamil!

        • 2
          2

          srinath gunaratnam

          “It is a shame that we could not find out from LTTE computers, who individually funded LTTE,”

          The Funders:

          Hindia
          R Premadasa and his boys
          Mahinda

          For further information ask KP and Karuna. According to LTTE media KP was the internation Finance Director for LTTE’s global operations. By the way KP lives in this island without any restrictions.

          The accumulated funds and gold kept in LTTE fortress were looted by Gota and his boys. He should be able to give you further details.

          Please share with us whatever information you have so far gathered from various sources.

      • 1
        2

        Lol who created LTTE and the diaspora in the first place? and now you blame them very good!

      • 2
        2

        You are exactly right that for Sinhalese, Sinhalese army is legitimate and whatever they did throughout the period between 1948 and 2017 was legitimate and lawful. I don’t know why this govt sponsored a UN Resolution along with UNCHR to probe war crimes during the period of 2006 and 2009 against both LTTE and Sinhalese Army if they are internationally lawful and their actions are legitimate? Once you accept to investigate there is no point on arguing here instead of arguing your case in front of a legitimate, impartial court of justice that is acceptable for Tamils and Sinhalese.

  • 6
    0

    Foreign minister Managala Samaraweera

    RE: Yahapālanaya Wants More Time To Probe War Crimes; Samaraweera To Make Request This Month

    “Foreign minister Managala Samaraweera who will attend the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva this month, will request for more time to probe war crimes.”

    Please tell the UN that the war crimes were committed by BOTH the Para-Sinhala and the Para-Tamils against each other, for a long time, including the war crimes committed against the Native Veddah Aethho, and it will take quite some time, in the land of native Veddah Aethho,

    Also please tell them that the average IQ of the Paras is 79, and that also adds to the difficulty of sorting out the facts, and assigning the crimes to the different Paras and it is quite a challenge for the Paras.

    Ask for further 99 years.

    National IQ Scores – Country Rankings

    http://www.photius.com/rankings/national_iq_scores_country_ranks.html

    PS. What about the war crimes committed by the West in Iraq, Syria and Libya? Have these crimes been sorted out yet?

  • 5
    2

    A pathetic liar. Most of them have been doing it openly but this guy simply goes around in circles just to fool everyone. The President has said it, so did the PM and his coterie of ministers. Now CBK has done it too. Why then Mangala has to beat around the bush?

    For Maithiri to invest his hopes on a sinking President (Trump) where the laws of the land have been squeezing his balls, it is fair to say that he may not even last the full term. The insidious in him (Maithiri) is looking for foxholes rather than standing up as a man. Perhaps, this may yet give the opportunity to Sampanthan and Sumanthiran to express it aloud to the world – we said so.

  • 8
    1

    More time to probe war crimes? really? who is the SL FM trying to fool?

    It is clear war crimes investigations will never happen, after all it was only thousands of Tamil civilians who were slaughtered by the SL military, Tamil lives that the Sri Lankan state never valued.

    • 1
      1

      Richard Kaz

      ” Tamil lives that the Sri Lankan state never valued.”

      Sometimes, even the Para-Sinhala lives were not valued, when those in power want to maintain their power and hegemony.

      References:

      1971 “Infantile” Revolution of JVP.

      1987-1989 anarchy and power struggle between JVP and the Sinhala State to maintain hegemony.

  • 1
    0

    In the midst of all the controversies the so called unity government is involved, Mangala Samaraweera’s activities as the great diplomat for Sri
    Lanka remains buried.

    It was he who was responsible for the resolution on Sri Lanka being co-sponsored by this Government together with that of United States. That was a public commitment to have war crimes probed by foreign judges. And what did Samaraweera say in his speech – “don’t judge us by the u turns of the past.” What has
    happened now?

    Samaraweera has broken the records of late A.C.S. Hameed and G.L. Peiris as Foreign Minister. He has travelled much more than the two of them.

    What has he given the country in return? What has he brought the government in return? Is it only a proposal to legalise homosexuality and prostitution. He is lavish with the tax payer’s money.

    Both Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe have not been able to rein him in. He runs his own kingdom. The Foreign Ministry only issues news releases. Nothing else is done there. High time Sirisena gives Samaraweera a break. Why can’t he be social services minister? He has seen enough of the world using tax payer’s money. Shame!!!

  • 1
    0

    Hats off to Sumith Baranage. In a few sentences
    he has unmasked Mangala Samaraweera, the fake
    Foreign Minister.

    I agree the Foreign Ministry is in a mess. He
    only looks after his favourites. No action is
    taken against anyone for misdeeds.

  • 3
    1

    The truth about war crimes coming out is not in the best interest of President Mithripala Siresena. At the end of the war when most of the crimes supposed to have happened MR was out of the country and Mithripala Sirisena was in charge. So its not material whether he was a party to the crimes, he had command responsibility.

    • 3
      0

      All that amounts to zero. The sponsor of the issue was not for fairness anyway.(S Power on 3 visits said Obama wants this at the Muslim school jaffna)
      The present authority is pulling back on its max 22% funding. The case will not be taken up by Nikki who supports Israel building homes in the west bank occupied territory. The tiger flag would go to the museum.
      Tamil ZIGGY.

  • 0
    1

    Burt’s comments are not altogether correct.
    True, Maithripala Sirisena was acting
    Defence Minister for a week or so. But
    the offensive against the LTTE continued
    for months until May 2009.

    If that is the situation, why did Maithri
    allow Mangala Samaraweera to agree to
    joint sponsor with the US a resolution
    that war crimes will be probed by foreign
    judges? Did he act on his own without
    Sirisena’s consent. If so, there is a
    serious misconduct. Why did not Sirisena
    act against him?

    • 2
      0

      Nimal Paranavithana

      Do the powers (USA, Hindia, UK, …..) really want to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity when they too were active participant in the war in one way or another.

      Sri Lankan armed forces were just the tool for Hindia to achieve its short term strategic interest. It is Hindia’s responsibility to protect any war crime charges against Sri Lanka.

      Ranil, Sirisena, Mangala …… understood the game plan very well and are playing the part as scripted by Hindia and USA.

      • 0
        0

        Only Hindia and USA?
        Not China, the ghost of SiriMao and other usuals?
        I miss that part very badly; have mercy and kindly include them in future.

        • 1
          0

          sekara

          “Only Hindia and USA?”

          What do you think?

          “Not China, the ghost of SiriMao and other usuals?”

          I am sorry I just forgot to mention your dream girl for her role in killing of innocent youth in 1971 and aiding and abetting Pakistani war criminals committing genocide of Bengali people in the same year.

          • 0
            0

            At last!
            I am glad that you are restored to your state of sanity.

            • 1
              0

              sekara

              Hope you stop fantasizing the weeping widow address the real issues given that Mao is not going to help you with his Red Book from his grave.

  • 1
    1

    1. What happened to the Magistrate who indiscriminately remanded a British Lady for possessing a tattoo of Buddha on her arm? Her love for Buddhism was the reason for the tattoo. The Magistrate continues as Magistrate happily ever after.

    2. What happened to the Policemen inside the remand prison who kept asking sexual favors from this British Lady while she was inside the Negombo remand prison? He has received promotion to sergeant recently and lives happily ever after.

    3. Why did it take ages for AG Palitha Fernando (a Mahinda lacky) to deliver justice for the murder and rape of Khoram and his Russian Girl friend respectively? Luckily he was a UK citizen and the world bodies began to question this at every forum that led to an arrest after almost 1 year after the crime was committed.

    4. When Lohan Ratwatte killed PNG Ruggerite Pera outside a night club in Colombo, how was the whole system and story changed so that the investigation was muffled, manipulated and a prearranged person a body guard of Lohan was given a short sentence and released quietly.

    5. Doesn’t the Lohan Ratwatte case look like a re-run of the Thajudeen case, but this time some truth is coming out specifically due to political purposes only. Our judicial and law will be at play again.

    6. What happened to Kumar Ponnambalam killers? According to any Sinhalese he deserved to die insulting Sinhalese all the time. Will they have the same opinion for Gnanasara and Sumana thero or simply be quiet providing tacit approval for criminal racism?

    7. Raviraj killing, no one found guilty and all released.

    This is just a 0.0001% of the State activities taking place in Sri Lanka. What more needs to be said about democracy?

    • 1
      1

      Sinhale,
      You forgot to query:-
      8. When will the court case be taken up against the five policemen who shot dead the two undergrads riding a motor cycle,

      9. When will the case against Sumanaratne Thero for trying to attack, threatening and berating in filth, the Grama Sevaka, male and female police officers,

      10. When will cases be filed against the alleged ex-LTTErs held in jail for many years,

      and, many more, especially the corruption cases against Mahinda Rajapakse and many others, by the FCID.

  • 0
    0

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/

    • 1
      0

      thondamannay

      Brilliant.

  • 2
    1

    NGOS, Western countries with politico-strategic needs, LTTE financiers living in the greener pastures. Adel Balasinghe who were donated Cyandie Capsules to graduate Suiciede bombers and now who write books supporting LTTE, All the LTTE brigadiers now living in Europe, 12,000 suicide bombers and black tigers Released by Mahinda Rajapakse and the political prisoners aka suicide bombers and black tigers can can notbe released are all innocent and watching it

    Until the soldiers and sailors who saved child soldiers, and civilian hostages to go to hang man.

    So, the LTTE rump come and mourn and bark here.

    Stupid Tamils.

    • 3
      1

      Hundreds of Army brigardiers committed war crimes are given diplomatic positions abroad and living in greeen pastures. Mothers who gave birth to Sinhalese soldiers are given pension instead of shot alive in Rupavahini for promoting terrorism.

      Stupid Sinhalese. They were stupid from the beginning of the history who originated from HIV infected lions. Now safron saree wearing trannies are transmitting HIV in the name of Buddha by raping young boys and goats in the temple. Stupid Sinhalese are not doing anything to stop this atrocities, because they love violence.

  • 0
    0

    More Time? I guess they are busy destroying mass graves and covering up evidence.

  • 0
    0

    Why play hocus pokus with the people,while I reiterate Sr-Lankans though high in literacy and are generally cultured are still very immatured and not ready embrase progressive and pluralism ,thanks to past play politicians ,religious orthodoxy from all religions of the land and the continued polluting of young minds by academics,Politicians & The Clergy among all ethnicity of our Land .We can never even attempt to follow an atom of India’s democracy. So why drag the feet on this? Why not admit the inevitable & Approach the “Victims” and move a compensation, and drop all Charges of all corruption of past and present and start a new journey, with a new vision and honestly implimening the law from a set date to prosecution of anyone found guilty of currption & any form of crimes on a citizen , not only by the forces even by groups and individuals henceforth with a severe penalty. This way everyone gets a true opportunity to change and become better people and serve the land. After all we can not bring back the dead who have committed similar crimes and currptions and it will be most unjust to let them pass ,by prosecuting only the present. If we had proper legislation and had we punished the ones who were guilty
    Of sumilar crimes and corruption, yes then you can execute ,other wise it would amount to hypocrisy, revenge, prejudice and another form of crime on another group. So let’s move on !

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