Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has claimed that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has asked about the chain of command in the Sri Lankan armed forces.
Speaking at his first election rally in Anuradhapura, Rajapaksa said this gave a “strong indication” that some sections of the international community were attempting to prosecute officials in Sri Lanka’s military.
Rajapaksa will face the opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the presidential election next month and both camps have used the rejection of the international probe into war crimes as a key tenet of their campaign.
The president said he would never allow any member of the security forces to be taken to the ICC.
"Sri Lankan government will not bow down for foreign interventions in the matter of the war victory," Rajapaksa said, adding that he will not permit a “foreign force” to jeopardise the political stability in Sri Lanka.#
Rajapaksa said his hands are not tainted with dirt or blood, claiming that he would cut them off the day they are stained.
“They have announced that commissions will be appointed to probe into our actions. . . What can they do? It seems they are not satisfied with the conspiracy they hatched to take us before the Hague – it seems they want more. Let them do whatever they wish – I am not scared of them!” he said.
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