Sri Lanka has to hold a credible investigation in order to clear the name of the Sri Lankan military, which stand accused of committing mass atrocities against Tamils during the armed conflict, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said in parliament today.
The minister said, despite years of aggression and alienation towards the international community, the government has managed to return Sri Lanka to the “centre stage” of international affairs, signified by the announcement of the visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry.
But Mr Samaraweera warned that Sri Lanka must not lose sight of its “national obligations”:
“To refrain from opening up our nation to international ignominy and making ourselves once again vulnerable to intrusive external interventions, we must initiate a credible domestic investigation into allegations of violations of human rights,
“Such developments are important also to clear the name of our armed forces who have received international recognition as a professional and disciplined force,” he said.
Tamils across the North-East and the diaspora have long demanded an international investigation and justice mechanism to hold the perpetrators of mass atrocities to account.
The minister also said the diaspora, “whether Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim” had a vital role to ply in taking Sri Lanka forward as a nation.
Only last week, TNA MP Ariyanenthiran warned against members of the Tamil diaspora from returning, as it was unsafe, highlighting the arrests of several Tamils who travelled to Sri Lanka.
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