The conviction and death sentence given to a Sinhala soldier showed that Sri Lanka has an independent and exceptional judicial system, army spokesperson Jayanath Jayaweera said on Friday, the Daily Mirror reported.
Speaking to reporters at the Information Department, he said the government would not hesitate to convict armed forces personnel who committed acts of crime, violence or corruption.
“It is essential to have a disciplined and highly efficient army dedicated to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. In such an environment there is no place for miscreants and law breakers,” Brigadier Jayaweera said.
Sri Lanka is yet to arrest, let alone prosecute, a single member of the security forces involved in war crimes that are thought to have happened during the most brutal last phase of the armed conflict.
A Facebook page set up on Thursday in support of the convicted soldier, hailing him as a "war hero", received over 13,000 likes by Friday evening.
Facebook page to ‘save’ soldier convicted of Tamil killings garners thousands of likes (26 June 2015)
Sri Lankan soldier sentenced to death over Jaffna massacre (25 June 2015)
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