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Sri Lanka laments

Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, has again condemned the international community and the Tamil diaspora for insisting on an independent investigation into war time atrocities.

Though such remarks are routine, his recents comments were notable for the reason he attributed to the international pressure.

"There is a hidden agenda behind these allegations. Their main requirement is to change the president and the government who are not fulfilling their desires," he said.

“They know the credibility of our replies. Yet these forces are not satisfied with our responses."

"No matter what we do there is no end to these allegations," he added.

Sri Lanka's foreign secretary echoed Gotabaya's lament when addressing the KDU Symposium, ‘Challenges of Post Conflict Sri Lanka’.

GL. Peiris, who has remained conspicuously quiet in recent weeks, condemned international criticism of the Sri Lankan army’s conduct during the war and afterwards.

Sri Lanka's military continues to saturate the Northeast, dominating economic activity and stiflying political activity. It also refuses to withdraw from hundreds of villages, preventing hundreds of thousands of displaced Tamils from returning home. 

“The armed forces play the most crucial role in facilitating civilians affected by the war to bring them back to their normal lives. Their basis infrastructural needs and houses are been build by the forces. They have the confidence, trust and the respect of the people therefore it is easy for them to accomplish the tasks” said Peiris.

He added: The perfect rapport between the political and military leadership enabled us to win the war. We handled the international affairs well especially with India also the domestic affairs were well handled by President Rajapaksa.”

No doubt the war time military commander, General Sarath Fonseka shares Peiris' sentiments, from behind bars, where he ended up for having the temerity to run against Rajapaksa in the 2010 election.  

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