Defending Sri Lanka's opposition to the UN inquiry into mass atrocities, the country's minister of external affairs, GL Peiris, reiterated that Sri Lanka "will not kneel down before any powerful nation and compromise the national interests", reported the DailyMirror.lk.
"During the last stage of the war, the foreign ministers of Britain and France arrived in Sri Lanka and asked the government to stop the military operations forthwith. However, we did not do it. By the time of their visit, the president was in Embiliptiya. The president, in fact, asked them to come to Embilipitiya to see him. He even told then British Foreign Minister David Miliband that Sri Lanka was no longer their colony,” he told Parliament this week.
Responding to criticism from the opposition party, UNP, over the internal probe into disappearances current underway, Peiris said, "we were opposed only to an international investigation."
Meanwhile, highlighting Sri Lanka's good relations with the Palestinian Authority, Peiris said he had met with the ambassador on Tuesday.
“The Palestine ambassador never raised any concern about Sri Lanka’s stand,” he added.
"During the last stage of the war, the foreign ministers of Britain and France arrived in Sri Lanka and asked the government to stop the military operations forthwith. However, we did not do it. By the time of their visit, the president was in Embiliptiya. The president, in fact, asked them to come to Embilipitiya to see him. He even told then British Foreign Minister David Miliband that Sri Lanka was no longer their colony,” he told Parliament this week.
Responding to criticism from the opposition party, UNP, over the internal probe into disappearances current underway, Peiris said, "we were opposed only to an international investigation."
Meanwhile, highlighting Sri Lanka's good relations with the Palestinian Authority, Peiris said he had met with the ambassador on Tuesday.
“The Palestine ambassador never raised any concern about Sri Lanka’s stand,” he added.