Sri Lanka’s Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management, Nimal Siripala de Silva has stated the government is not afraid of being subjected to economic sanctions over human rights abuses.
De Silva said the government had taken measures after the war to ensure economic stability, saying this will be continued, despite international pressure.
“We have brought peace to this country and we will not allow terrorism to raise its head again,” he said.
He added that Sri Lanka will face several challenges as some in the international community do not like to see a leader who “refuses to tow the Western line”, and the people of Sri Lanka must confront the challenges as a nation.
“If a leader does not tow the Western line then those countries try their best to remove him,” the minister said, saying that the moves at the Human Rights Council are part of that.
Nimal Sripala De Silva further stated that the ruling UPFA party is the strongest government in the Asian region.
Describing an expanding support base of the UPFA in Sri Lanka, he said,
“Today we have 123 seats in Parliament. President Mahinda Rajapaksa made this government the strongest.”