President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated the government’s position that the three international experts appointed to advise the presidential commission on disappearances do not have the mandate to hold investigations.
Speaking to Sri Lankan media on Tuesday, the president added that the government was considering expanding the international advisory committee to six.
External Affairs Minister GL Peiris said at the press briefing that Sri Lanka rejected outright paragraph 10 of the UNHRC resolution passed in March this year, which called for an international investigation into war crimes.
“However, we have agreed to the Clause 2 which called for an internal investigation”, he pointed out.
The government's decision to appoint international advisors to the commission has encountered widespread condemnation amongst Sri Lankan parties, with the main opposition UNP calling it a "betrayal" of Sri Lankan soldiers.
The Tamil National Alliance dismissed the commission from its inception, pointing out the failures of previous commissions and rejecting the recent appointment of the international experts.
Cross-party concern over 'betrayal' of Sri Lankan soldiers in Presidential Inquiry (28 July 2014)
TNA remains sceptical over government commission (27 July 2014)
CPA criticises expansion of presidential commission mandate (25 July 2014)
UNP expresses ‘serious concern’ over government u-turn on presidential commission (22 July 2014)
TNA says it has no faith in Presidential commission (19 July 2014)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
