The Minister said so while participating in the debate on the motion by nine UPFA members against United Nations Human Rights Commission war crimes probe on Sri Lanka. Today is the second day of the debate.
He said: “I thank our MPs for moving this motion. I have to respond to what MP Wijedasa Rajapakshe had said several minutes ago. It is good that we did not become signatory to the Rome Treaty. But at the time this Treaty was being signed, the US campaigned heavily against it requesting all not to sign it. I do not know whether the then Lankan government did not sign the treaty owing to that pressure or foreseeing the national priorities. But at the end of today’s vote we would be able to identify clearly who prioritize the national cause and who do not.”
“Several members of the opposition alleged that we have acted against national interests by issuing a joint statement with UN General Secretary Ban ki-moon. There is nothing anti-national in that statement. I table that statement so that it could go to the Hansard. I invite you to read it. The so-called Darusman committee was appointed two months later the appointment of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. If we have no effective local mechanism then only an international investigation could have been permitted.
Look at the examples before us. Report of the Iraq Inquiry or the Chilcott Commission of the Great Britain has not been submitted yet even after the lapse of six years. Britain’s Foreign Ministry has gone before courts against this. That is the international examples before us. Now in our case not even five years have lapsed since the end of the war.
Look at the double standards of the UNHRC. Look at the way they handled Iraq issue. Then the way Britain acted against Ireland. Thirteen Irish were killed in cold blood. David Cameron went before to Parliament and apologized. How and why Ms Pillay overlooked those incidents? She just wanted to bring about this investigation against us. They are providing safety and everything to those who have given evidence and material to them to act against us. We could have prevented investigations of this nature, if our president gone to the US and promised to dance to their tune. These investigations against us would not have come had we promised to given up our relationships with China and Russia. These investigations would not have come, had we succumbed the pressure of the western powers during the times of war. Our government is not ready for that. We as a government are not ready to bow down before any other country nor would we betray our valiant soldiers.
Special Reporter
