Int'l Community no longer insisting in foreign judges

The United Nations, the European Union, other global agencies and the international community are no longer insisting on a so called ‘credible domestic inquiry’ with the participation of foreign judges, Cabinet spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday.

He told the weekly Cabinet news briefing that if the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime was in power, the world community would have been breathing down Sri Lanka's neck demanding for an international investigation into alleged war crimes and the violation of the International Humanitarian Law during the final stages of the humanitarian operation. This would have been in line with recommendations made by the Darusman report and agreement reached between then President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the UN.

“Not only had the unity government restored democracy, the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and introduced the concept of good governance but it had restored Sri Lanka’s dignity, prestige and self respect within the global community which was on the verge of branding Sri Lanka as a pariah State,” the minister said. This is why President Maithripala Sirisena is being invited by world leaders for official visits and highly prestigious world summits like the G-7 and commended at international forums as a champion of democracy and a fighter against corruption."

Responding to a journalist on the numerous foreign visits undertaken by ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa, he said it was natural for former heads of states to receive invitations.

"I think in this instance, Mahinda Rajapaksa embarks on these foreign tours as a means of getting away from the likes of Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila,” he said. (Sandun A Jayasekera)