Sri Lanka’s newly appointed defence secretary vowed to push ahead with Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election pledge of freeing imprisoned Sri Lankan soldiers, as he slammed efforts to prosecute those who committed human rights abuses.
"A number of war heroes were subjected to a witch hunt and prosecuted,” claimed Kamal Gunaratne, who himself stands accused of war crimes. “This government will bring justice to those who were imprisoned unfairly."
Rajapaksa vowed to free all Sri Lankan soldiers that he claimed had been imprisoned on “absurd charges”.
Gunaratne was commander of the Sri Lankan army’s infamous 53 Division during the 2009 massacres, in which tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed. The unit he headed is accused of numerous abuses, including sexual violence, summary executions and the disappearance of those who surrendered to the military.
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.
