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Rajapaksa-ally criticises appointment of 'puppets' to presidential commission

The National Freedom Front, a key partner in the Rajapaksa-led UPFA coalition, has called the expansion of the Commission to Inquire into Disappearances to include foreign experts as a ‘mistake’, which could potentially put the president into ‘serious danger’.

NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa, in a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, demanded that he immediately amend the gazette, which allowed for the international experts to be appointed, as it allowed “external forces to interfere with domestic issues”, Ceylon Today reported.

The minister charged that the entire International Criminal Court system is "biased" and that the three advisors appointed to the commission were 'puppets' of western imperialism, according to Asian Mirror.

"In our view, whoever instructed the government to issue this Gazette Notification has put the President in serious danger. Appointing three international advisors to the Commission to Inquire into Disappearances would create a lot of issues and subsequently it would justify the requirement of an international inquiry regarding war crime allegations against Sri Lanka," he added.

“Those who have advised the government to appoint international experts have jeopardized the government, the security forces and the head of state. This also gives an opportunity to international elements with vested interests to intervene in internal affairs of the country. With this move, the government indirectly endorsed the so called international inquiry panel appointed by the UN Human Rights Commissioner.”

Rajapaksa last week invited three international experts to the country's domestic disappearances commission, amid increasing international pressure over mass atrocities committed against Tamils in the final stages of the armed conflict.

Despite the appointment however, the government's spokesperson, Keheliya Rambukwella appeared keen to emphasise that the government retained the right to accept or reject the experts' findings.

On Tuesday the main opposition UNP expressed “serious concern” about the commission’s appointment of international experts, accusing the government of pandering to international pressure.

The main Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) meanwhile rejected the appointment, stating that it had "no faith" in the commission.

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