Testing time ahead for the President

“War Crimes Tribunal process is a daunting task. How can the leadership that is rattled by the US Department of Homeland Security official’s inquiry defend the charges in the War Crimes Tribunal?”
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By Rajasingham Jayadevan

(November 04, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Percy Rajapakse said recently that ‘he is ready to go to any court in the world to defend his soldiers who carried out orders to wipe out terrorism’. He is right! Due to constitutional safeguards enjoyed as President of the country, any attempt to defend the soldiers in the local courts only will be seen a façade as even if true local justice is forthcoming, he will be exempt from punishment constitutionally.

Therefore to seek fair justice on war crimes, the international judicial process is the only way forward as no one could claim immunity or will be restricted by any safeguards or even the fallacy of the politicised judicial system in Sri Lanka. Provided, the President and the high ranking officials and ministers implicated in the state terror surrender their diplomatic safeguards to face any trials internationally, real justice will not be forthcoming.

The Sri Lanka government is already showing signs of panic over the US Department of Homeland Security official’s effort to meet the Chief of Defense Staff General Sarath Fonseka and crying foul that he should be left alone without being put through an investigation process. The President’s claim that ‘he is ready to go to any court in the world to defend his soldiers who carried out orders to wipe out terrorism’ has been made a laughing statement by the stand of the government on this important matter. The anger reflected by the Sri Lankan government, altogether jettisons the upbeat claim of the President and proves to the extent Sri Lanka will go to cover up the heinous crimes it has committed against the section of its people.

War Crimes Tribunal process is a daunting task. How can the leadership that is rattled by the US Department of Homeland Security official’s inquiry defend the charges in the War Crimes Tribunal?

One would expect the upbeat President to defend any international inquiry process without engaging in skulduggery and threats. What the time demands is justice on war crimes. The skeletons and ashes of the dead bodies strewn across within the barricades of the military in the war-torn northern Sri Lanka must be investigated. Unless the respectable international community play a responsible role, what happened in Sri Lanka will be transplanted in other petty Poll Pot regimes around the globe.

-Sri Lanka Guardian