Colombo> Human rights abuses allegedly perpetrated in the war against LTTE haunted President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the sidelines of the CHOGM summit with UK Prime Minister David Cameron today giving Sri Lanka an ultimatum to conduct a credible probe into the war crimes by March, failing which he would seek an international investigation.
Rajapaksa promptly rejected Cameron's demand and the Sri Lankan government said it would not conduct any inquiry under "pressure" or allow an independent international probe. The President, credited with ending the 30-year war against terror but facing criticism over rights violations, made a veiled attack on Cameron. During a news conference, Rajapaksa rejected the British premier's demand and said, "It is his view. This is a democracy. He can say whatever he wants. People living in glass houses must not throw stone at others." He referred to the actions of some countries in the name of regime change and the situation thereafter, an apparent reference to Britain's role in removing the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq. But when he was asked by a British journalist whether he was referring to Cameron, he shot back: "I have not taken any names. Don't take anything as a reference to you or to your PM. Please, that is why I didn't mention any names."
The heads of government and foreign ministers of the 53-member grouping today met at a "retreat" for informal discussions on agenda issues of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting but Rajapaksa's news conference was dominated by questions on Cameron's forthright views on the alleged rights violations. After a historic visit to war-ravaged Jaffna, the first by a foreign head of government since the island's independence from Britain in 1948, Cameron met Rajapaksa last night. He said they had a "free and frank" discussion on all issues, including an independent credible probe, reconciliation and rehabilitation of Tamils.
"I told President Rajapaksa that there is need for a credible, transparent and independent internal inquiry into the events at the end of the war (against LTTE) by the end of March. If that does not happen, I will use our position in the UN Security Council to move the UN Human Rights Commission and work with the Rights Commissioner for an independent inquiry," Cameron told a media interaction this morning.
