The Federation of National Organisations (FNO) demanded that Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe reiterate his stance on whether an international investigation into reports of war crimes would be allowed to take place.
The FNO’s Representative of expatriate Sri Lankans Nuwan Bellanthurawa told The Island that the postponement of the release of an OISL report into mass atrocities until September, was part of a strategy to increase international pressure on former president Mahinda Rajapaksa in the event he was elected as prime minister later this month.
Mr Bellanthurawa went on to state that a leaked document from the United Nations named 47 people, who he described as “war heroes”, as responsible for violations of international humanitarian law, including Mr Rajapaksa.
The National Freedom Front's Wimal Weerawansa also warned this week that the United National Party, led by Mr Wickremesinghe, would allow an international war crimes probe to take place.
Earlier this year the UNP declared that it would protect Mr Rajapaksa from any potential war crimes probe.
In the run up to the election the UNP has been staunch in its rejection of federalism and giving Buddhism the foremost place on the island, as was declared in their manifesto and reiterated by Mr Wickremesinghe last week. A host of Sinhala parties have almost unanimously endorsed the same position.
See our earlier posts:
Domestic probe will have foreign hand - UPFA (02 Aug 2015)
Sri Lanka will ‘not agree’ to international war crimes probe against Mahinda (30 Jul 2015)
Sri Lanka wants ‘domestic inquiry without outside pressure’ says minister (30 July 2015)
Sri Lanka's PM claims to have saved Mahinda Rajapaksa from ICC (26 July 2015)
Sri Lanka's foreign minister reiterates rejection of OISL report (22 July 2015)
Also see:
Sinhala nationalist organisations rally against federalism (30 Jul 2015)
Sinhalese organisations slam CM Wigneswaran (14 Jul 2015)
Sri Lanka's national federation warns that UNP will divide country (09 July 2015)
National organisations in Sri Lanka warn against demilitarisation (22 Apr 2015)
Sri Lankan national federation warns against 'Eelam' agenda (26 Mar 2015)
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