Sri Lanka has become a country that breaks its promises: Karu

Friday, 1 March 2013 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Senior United National Party Parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya warned of serious problems with the country’s foreign policy, saying that Sri Lanka had become a nation that breaks its promises to the international community.

Speaking of the country facing a ‘colossal challenge’ in its international affairs, Jayasuriya said that predicament Sri Lanka is currently facing in Geneva is a result of the Government’s obtuse policies and poor engagement with the world.

·Jayasuriya noted that globalization meant that Sri Lanka could not isolate itself from the rest of the world. “We depend on the west and the democratic countries for our exports, investments and financial assistance,” he said.

The UNP Legislator charged that democracy was not a ‘bad’ word although the Government was attempting to portray it as such. “To talk about the democratic rights of the people cannot be construed as an interference in internal affairs,” he added. He said the regime had lost Sri Lanka a golden opportunity it was presented with after the conclusion of the war. “We could have learnt from the mistakes of the past and risen up as one country. Instead the government kicked aside international opinion and went about its own way,” he charged.

According to Jayasuriya the wisest course of action following the unveiling of the UN Panel of Experts report would have been for Sri Lanka to conduct its own inquirty into the allegations being levelled against the conduct of the final phase of the war.

“Instead the government followed a policy of celebrating the victory and abusing those who professed dissenting political views,” the UNP MP said adding that all those who expressed opinions on good governance, human rights, media freedom and democratic values were labeled by the regime as as LTTE or Tamil Diaspora.