Counter Report On Sri Lanka Handed To UN
By Indika Sri Aravinda
A report countering allegations raised on Sri Lanka, was handed over to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday, the Innercity Press website reported.
The report was handed over to the UN Chief by Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN Dr Palitha Kohona and Permanent Representatives from Japan, Bangladesh, Romania and Nigeria.
External Affairs Ministry Karunathilaka Amunugama, when contacted by The Sunday Leader, said Sri Lankan ambassadors overseas had been informed to submit reports on Sri Lanka to the respective countries.
Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman Martin Nesirky said last week that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wants accountability in Sri Lanka through a genuine and comprehensive national process.
Nesirky said that the UN Chief was aware of the new video footage released on the war in Sri Lanka and the reports about that video footage.
He was referring to the video allegedly showing the youngest son of LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabakaran having snacks in an army bunker before being shot dead. Nesirsky however said that the UN did not have any comments at this moment directly related to the controversial video.
“The Secretary-General has consistently underlined the critical importance of addressing accountability in Sri Lanka through a genuine and comprehensive national process and achieving national reconciliation. We are obviously aware of the video footage and the reports about that video footage, but I don’t have any specific comment on that,” he said.
Meanwhile, in response to a question, the UN spokesman said that the last panel appointed by Ban Ki-moon to look into addressing failures of the UN during the war in Sri Lanka is not investigating the incidents in Sri Lanka related to the war. “This is an internal task force looking at how recommendations will be carried out within the UN. It’s not to do with looking into the actual events that took place in Sri Lanka. It is learning the lessons from them, which is what the second report was about,” he said.
I think Srilanka government has to answer lot of questions. They cannot keep on denying these allegations forever. I beleive there is some truth in these allegations. We cannot trust our government to investigate these allegations. So we need an independent investigations to be carried out impartially. Gothbaya Rajapakse cannot keep on denying these crimes and he too need to answer a lot. There are other players as well. Eventhough I like Sarath Fonseka, he too need to answer a lot. Overall our regime need to answer the entire world the war crime allegations. God help Rajapakses family.