Sri Lanka's incumbent president Mahinda Rajapaksa has defiantly reiterated claims that Sri Lanka has not violated international humanitarian law or committed any human rights abuses, in an interview with the Financial Times.
In response to questions from the Financial Times about the upcoming presidential polls, Rajapaksa remained confident of victory, saying, “first of all, I won’t lose... I am confident we will come out victorious”.
The Sri Lankan President also rejected reports of human rights violations, saying,
“I can also decisively say that Sri Lanka has not violated any international humanitarian laws or abused human rights as claimed by some.”
He went on to add,
“I think, over time, that the criticisms in relation to human rights would get weaker and would lose traction altogether.”
Rajapaksa stated that financial investment in the island showed that reports of human rights abuses were false, saying,
“Even in the midst of these human rights criticisms, there has been a steady rise in foreign investment into Sri Lanka. I think that’s an indication that investors do not find these allegations credible.”
See the full piece from the Financial Times here.
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