Sarath Weerasekara hands over petition to UNHRC Chief

22 June 2017 07:18 am

Retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara yesterday handed over a petition to UNHRC President Joaquin Alexander Maza Martelli requesting that action be taken against Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein and Special Rapporteur Monica Pinto for forcing Sri Lanka towards Constitutional Reform, basing their reports on false information and bias.

Addressing the 35th session of the UNHRC yesterday, retired Rear Admiral Weerasekara said both reports have been submitted based on pre-conceived, per-determined notions, were full of contradictions and also violated the norms included in the UN charter.

“I regret to say that both these reports are biased and are full of lies. The OISL panel and the Special rapporteur have based their findings merely on hearsay and gossip and had violated the norms of the UN charter,” he said

Mr. Weerasekara said that the UNHRC should treat Sri Lankan war heroes in the same in which it views war heroes in Great Britain and the United States and not differentiate against them.

Quoting British Prime Minister Theresa May, he said that May had said that she was even willing to change the human rights laws if they get in their way of tackling terrorism and vowed to protect her troops from a legal witch-hunt.

“If you insist that hybrid courts be used to try our war heroes, you are obliged as per your mandate, to recommend the same for the heroic men fighting terrorism today in Britain and the US as well,” Mr. Weerasekara said.

He further said by defeating the LTTE his country's security forces had defended the human rights of all Sri Lankans. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)