Lanka will not bow down to international pressure - President

Those living in glass houses should not throw stones:

Govt implemented own mechanism, no international inquiry required:

by P.Krishnaswamy

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that Sri Lanka would not bow down to international pressure or any threats of an international inquiry over alleged war crimes. “The country is free, independent and democratic,” he said, adding that “those living in glass houses should not throw stones at others”. “For over twenty long years, there was no access to the Northern Province which was under the terror regime of the LTTE” the President told a media briefing at the BMICH yesterday.

Addressing the media on the eve of the conclusion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2013 which concludes today, President Rajapaksa said that there is no question of an international inquiry on Sri Lanka, because the Government has implemented its own mechanism to investigate into the purported war crimes and human rights issues.“The democratically elected Government has already implemented most of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and the Special Commission of Inquiry, to investigate into the purported disappearances has already started its work,” he said when the media questioned Sri Lanka’s stance on the British Prime Minister David Cameron’s statement that if Sri Lanka failed to hold credible investigations he would press for an international inquiry.

“Neither the Government nor any others had any access to the Northern Province. During the final stages of the battle against terrorism, over 300,000 civilians who were kept as human shields by the LTTE crossed over to Government- controlled areas. The Sri Lankan army achieved the difficult task of clearing areas that were heavily mined by the LTTE, with the resettlement of the displaced people and provision of all infrastructure and livelihood facilities at a staggering expenditure of Rs.2.5 billion” the President said.

“During the LTTE terror regime especially the youth, were being killed every day in the North, South and the East. Now peace has been restored and they are living in harmony. The road network, railways, hospitals, government institutions and everything destroyed by the LTTE has been restored and almost 80 percent of the work is complete by the Government,” he said. “If I can achieve all these, why can’t we hold credible inquiries into purported war crimes and disappearances?”, the President questioned. He said that Sri Lanka has eminent persons capable of holding such inquiries and it was only a question of mutual trust.

“There was, no “channel”, to visit the Northern Province during the terror regime. Those levelling accusations, should listen to both sides the President said.

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, Prime Minister of St.Kits and Nevis Densil Douglas and Prime Minister of Samoa Tuilaepa Maliuelegai addressed the media conference on the achievements of the Colombo Commonwealth Summit and the far-reaching policy decisions taken on the challenges faced by smaller nations , with special focus on youth who comprised 30 percent of the Commonwealth.