Rajapakse rejects war probe calls

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, right, with military commanders Chief of Defence Staff, General Jagath Jayasuriya, left, Army Commander Major General Daya Ratnayake, second left, Navy chief Jayanath Colombage, third left, Air Force chief Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama, third right, and police chief N K Illangakoon standing during the country’s 66th Independence Day celebrations in the central town of Kegalle, about 40km from Colombo, yesterday.

DPA/Colombo

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday criticised demands for an investigation into alleged war crimes by the military during its successful campaign against separatist Tamil rebels.

Speaking at an event to mark the nation’s independence anniversary, Rajapakse said it was a “grave offence” to base accusations against the military on information provided by those “committed to separatism.”

“I see the attempts to level charges of war crimes against us in Geneva (at the UN Human Rights Council) as the triumph of those who are not in favour of peace,” he said.

President Rajapakse’s comments came three days after the United Sates declared it would introduce a third resolution on Sri Lanka to the council next month.

According to UN estimates, more than 40,000 civilians were killed during the final stages of the conflict in the northern and eastern regions before the rebels were defeated in May 2009.