Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil met with senior Sri Lankan military officials today, including those accused of war crimes and genocide, as she continued her visit of Colombo today.
O'Neil was photographed shaking hands with Sri Lanka’s defence secretary Kamal Gunaratne, a man who has been named in several United Nations reports and accused of war crimes.
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She was leading a delegation that included Australia’s Border Force Commissioner as thw two sides reportedly discussed “matters relating to strengthening the existing bilateral ties”.
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Also present at the meeting was Sri Lanka’s newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva. The senior army general is currently barred from entry to the United States over his role in executing Tamils who had surrendered to the Sri Lankan military.
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Nevertheless, the newly appointed Australian Minister for Home Affairs took part in the meeting with the accused war criminals, with “mementos and gifts” exchanged. Amongst them were Gunaratne’s book ‘Road to Nandikadal’.
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Nandikadal in Mullivaikkal is the town where tens of thousands of Tamils were massacred by the Sri Lankan military.
See video of the meeting below.
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