Common opposition candidate Maithiripala Sirisena and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) jointly declared that they would oppose any investigation into war crimes and mass atrocities on the island, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding this week.
General Secretary of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Patali Champika Ranawaka told reporters in Colombo after signing the agreement,
“We have agreed to oppose efforts to prosecute our military authorities, including the President as Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, Defence Secretary, Service Commander and other senior military officials in international war crime tribunals.”
“We will not give room for that. Whether it is the President, the Defence Secretary (Gotabaya Rajapaksa), the then Service Commanders – Sarath Fonseka and Karannagoda or the likes of Shavindra Silva and Presanna Silva, we will not allow any of these people to be tried before the International Criminal Court (ICC),” Ranawaka said.
“There can be allegations but if the country concern refuses to allow such international probes, they cannot do anything about it,” he added.
Ranawaka went on to state that his party and Sirisena had “agreed not to change anything in the present constitution on the unitary state, Buddhism and the position given to other religions”.
See our earlier posts:
Maithripala signs MoU with JHU (01 Dec 2014)
General Secretary of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Patali Champika Ranawaka told reporters in Colombo after signing the agreement,
“We have agreed to oppose efforts to prosecute our military authorities, including the President as Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, Defence Secretary, Service Commander and other senior military officials in international war crime tribunals.”
“We will not give room for that. Whether it is the President, the Defence Secretary (Gotabaya Rajapaksa), the then Service Commanders – Sarath Fonseka and Karannagoda or the likes of Shavindra Silva and Presanna Silva, we will not allow any of these people to be tried before the International Criminal Court (ICC),” Ranawaka said.
“There can be allegations but if the country concern refuses to allow such international probes, they cannot do anything about it,” he added.
Ranawaka went on to state that his party and Sirisena had “agreed not to change anything in the present constitution on the unitary state, Buddhism and the position given to other religions”.
See our earlier posts:
Maithripala signs MoU with JHU (01 Dec 2014)
Presidential candidate Sirisena signs MoU with opposition parties (01 December 2014)
JHU to sign MoU with Maithripala (29 November 2014)
I will protect Rajapaksas from war crime charges – Maithripala (28 November 2014)
Maithripala invited us for talks – BBS (24 November 2014)
Who is Maithripala Sirisena? (23 November 2014)
JHU quits ruling alliance, calls on Rajapaksa to follow 'teachings of Buddha' (18 November 2014)
Sinhalese becoming a minority warns SL Minister (21 August 2014)
Cross-party concern over 'betrayal' of Sri Lankan soldiers in Presidential Inquiry (28 July 2014)
Persecution of Muslims in Sri Lanka a lie – JHU (23 July 2014)