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Chandrika says no war crimes prosecutions for Sri Lankan soldiers

Former President and current head of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), Chandrika Kumaratunga, said that Sri Lankan soldiers who fought in the civil war will not be dragged to court because of the demands of the Tamil diaspora.

"We have no intention to drag the soldiers before courts and send them to gallows," she said at a gathering in Jaffna.

Kumaratunga stated that the Tamil diaspora has formed NGOs and are making such demands, while local Tamils just want to know what happened to their missing relatives.

"They [local Tamils] do not demand action against soldiers. But we will take action against those who had harmed ordinary civilians outside the war for no reason if their cases can be proved," said Kumaratunga.

Conversely, local Tamils have been demanding accountability for war crimes and the ongoing violence by military forces in Sri Lanka. Many who fled Sri Lanka have also reported their experiences of violence to organizations such as ITJP.

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