Sri Lanka’s president stated that he would not reverse his decision to implement capital punishment on the island telling an audience in Mullaitivu that he had no “fear of NGOs”.
In his address, Maithripala Sirisena praised the much criticised campaign against drugs led by Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte, stating that a Philippines “expert team” is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka shortly to explore the possibility of providing technology consultancy services.
Sirisena’s official media division quoted him as saying he “will not change several stern decisions taken against the drug traffickers due to the fear of NGOs”, including on the death penalty.
“Information regarding not only the drug dealers, but other parties behind these dealers will be revealed to the country,” he was further reported as saying.
Human rights organisations in the Philippines and around the world Sirisena’s praise of the Philippine president’s campaign against illegal drugs, and warned him to be ready to face scrutiny by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague if he chose to follow the same approach.
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