Mahinda’s marrow!

Friday, 15 November 2013 05:49 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Hits back at critics alleging HR violations
Pledges to act against abuses; Urges faith in legal system, HR institutions
Says assessors of Sri Lanka’s HR record must also consult with Govt.
Sharma says holding CHOGM in Colombo does not make a mockery of grouping’s Charter but is showing C’wealth in action

By Dharisha Bastians President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday hit back at critics of Sri Lanka’s human rights record, saying his Government would not tolerate abuses and urging faith in the country’s legal system to deal with the allegations. Addressing a rare media briefing at Committee Room A of the BMICH ahead of the CHOGM 2013 opening ceremony, President Rajapaksa, who dealt impressively with tough questions from the press, said people had been getting killed in Sri Lanka for 30 years. “Today, no one is getting killed. We have ended that war,” the President said, taking a question from a foreign journalist at the very end of the briefing.

The President said there were mechanisms in place to deal with allegations of human rights abuse, whether it was “torture or rape”. “If anyone wants to complain about human rights, we have a system. There is a Human Rights Commission. We have a legal system,” he told reporters. He pledged that if there were violations committed, his Government was ready to look into it. “If there are violations, we will take action against anybody, no matter who they are,” he said. Mahinda’s... “Respect our country’s legal system, respect our culture,” he said, questioned on whether he would promise to investigate allegations of major rights abuses during the war when he shakes hands with Prince Charles today at the summit. “Whether it is a king or prince or beggar, the traditional Sri Lankan greeting is Ayubowan (long life), so that is how I will greet Prince Charles,” President Rajapaksa chided the journalist posing the question. Sri Lanka has nothing to hide, President Rajapaksa added, urging critics to speak with Ministers in his Government to learn the true picture. The President also invited the Tamil diaspora for a dialogue, saying he was willing to give them an ear. “They must also listen to us,” he emphasised. “We are willing to try to win them over – even the terrorists, so we are ready to talk. But we will never permit this country to be divided,” the President said. All those seeking to assess Sri Lanka’s human rights record are welcome to do so, the President said. “But they must have a dialogue with us too. Not just the sympathisers of the LTTE or the proxies of the LTTE,” he added. President Rajapaksa called on journalists covering the CHOGM to ensure fair coverage of the flagship event. “CHOGM returns to Asia after 25 years,” he said. “I hope the media will give it fair coverage, in a balanced and professional manner,” the President said, concluding his remarks at the beginning of the briefing. The briefing followed a day of controversy, with the Government deciding to turn back buses carrying families of the disappeared to Colombo and mobs preventing British broadcaster Channel 4 from travelling to the north. Secretary General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma, who was asked if holding CHOGM in Sri Lanka was making a mockery of the Commonwealth in light of the country’s rights record and the events of the past day, strongly denied the charge. “No, it does not make a mockery of the Commonwealth Charter. The Commonwealth Secretariat has been engaging with an open attitude with Sri Lanka on issues of human rights, democracy and rule of law,” he said. Sharma said holding CHOGM in Colombo was in fact showing the Commonwealth in action.