The Sri Lankan government dismissed human rights concerns raised by delegates at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia, this week as "propaganda" from the Eelam Tamil diaspora, referred to as the "LTTE rump".
Speaking on Thursday to the ABC news channel, the Sri Lankan president's spokesperson, Bandula Jayasekera, said,
"This is hearsay. These are mere allegations... we have ended 30 years of terror."
"This is the well-oiled propaganda machinery of the LTTE rump"
Sri Lanka's comments come the day after the Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, personally raised the issue of human rights and war crimes with the Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, as well as the wider context of overwhelming international calls, in the run up to the CHOGM 2011, for an independent investigation into alleged war crimes.
Australia urges UNHRC to examine war crimes (Oct 2011)
More evidence of war crimes (Oct 2011)
Former Australian PM calls for tougher approach on Sri Lanka (Oct 2011)
Rajapaksa indicted for war crimes in Australian court (Oct 2011)
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