Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe criticised Mahinda Rajapaksa for reported attempts to facilitate the surrender of LTTE officials, who were subsequently executed by Sri Lankan troops.
"Who wanted to save Pulidevan?” questioned Mr Wickremesinghe in parliament on Friday.
"I do not shed any tears for Pulidevan,” he added. “If not for him, Rajapaksa would not have been able to take power. It is by trying to save Pulidevan that the country is now facing this white flag crisis.”
LTTE Chief Peace Secretariat Pulidevan, political wing leader B Nadesan and other senior LTTE officials were gunned down by Sri Lankan troops whilst attempting to surrender on the morning of 18 May 2009. The incident, since dubbed the “white flag” killings, has been described in detail by reports and eye witnesses.
"Why did the regime want to save Pulidevan?” said the prime minister on Friday. “I don't like people being killed, but Pulidevan is a man whose actions put the Tamil community in jeopardy,” he added. "Instead of leaving battle field decisions to field commanders, the then government tried to interfere. They were negotiating a surrender… If it was not a surrender that was negotiated, we won't be facing this problem today."
The prime minister also implicated the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa in the assassination of former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.
"There is a connection between the Kadirgamar assassination and the presidential election," Mr Wickremesinghe said. “The Kadirgamar assassination must be thoroughly probed and all this will come out.”
The Sunday Times reported Mr Wickremesinghe as saying a connection between Mr Rajapaksa’s 2005 election victory and the assassination of Mr Kadirgamar could not be ruled out.
“In August 2005, the then Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated. Four months later, the Tigers were given money,” he said.
“The voters in the north were told to boycott the presidential elections and victory was achieved. Is there are a link between the assassination and this. We cannot say “No”. We know that the LTTE was responsible for the assassination. We are aware that these discussions took place at ‘Temple Trees’". "Was the money given to them?” asked the prime minister.
His comments came during a debate on the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka, which took place on Friday.
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