Some nations are against their conscience-Gota

21 March 2012 07:14 pm

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that many diplomats had privately told the government that they were convinced of the success of the post war reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, but owing to a variety of reasons some of their countries had decided to back the US-sponsored resolution.

During an interactive session with media heads and editors, he said that the government had rehabilitated over 11,000 LTTE ex-combatants, and released 4000 others.

He said that, along with economic and infrastructure development projects in the north and the east, Sri Lanka’s reconciliation process stood out as the best in modern history.

Speaking about the need to maintain a healthy level of vigilance, Mr. Rajapaksa said that some LTTE 400 cadres were still at large.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s death, he said that intercepted radio messages had proved that Prabhakaran had refused to surrender in January, 2009.

“Prabhakaran rejected a proposal by his chief arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan, alias KP, to surrender as the LTTE was losing the battle. Prabhakaran died in a gun battle. He was not taken alive,” Mr. Rajapaksa said, denying allegations that Prabhakaran had been killed after he surrendered to the Army.