‘War crimes’: Not only individuals but also entire fighting divisions ‘blacklisted’ – Foreign Mi...

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry, PC, yesterday (05) said entire fighting divisions which had been deployed on the Vanni front during Eelam War IV (2006-2009) had been ‘blacklisted’ on the basis of findings made by the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Minister Sabry called it a move to tarnish Sri Lanka’s image. He said so when The Island asked him how President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government intended to counter an attempt by a section of the international community to adopt punitive measures against senior military personnel such as Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, MP, Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva, and Maj. Gen. (retd.), Chagie Gallage, on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations.

The issue came up at a media briefing called by the Foreign Ministry to explain the current state of affairs with the focus on staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with regard to USD 2.9 bn loan facility and the forthcoming Geneva sessions.

Minister Sabry will lead the delegation for the 51 sessions next week. Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC will be among the delegates.

Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane, a retired member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, too, responded to some of the issues raised by the media.

Minister Sabry said that in addition to the individuals mentioned, the entire Divisions had been targeted. The President’s Counsel also made reference to obstacles faced by the military in undertaking missions under UN command due to unsubstantiated allegations directed at them.

When The Island questioned the reluctance on the part of the Foreign Ministry to properly defend the war winning armed forces, particularly the inordinate delay in exploiting disclosures made by Lord Naseby in the UK House of Lords, Minister Sabry emphasized that the ministry hadn’t been hesitant. The Minister explained that they had addressed this issue at different levels.

An explanation was also sought as to why UN accusations pertaining to the massacre of as many as 40,000 Tamil civilians on the Vanni east front couldn’t be countered on the basis of exposed classified UK diplomatic dispatches.

Lord Naseby made the shocking disclosure in the House of Lords in Oct 2017.

Asked whether the US denied visa to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over his role as the wartime Defence Secretary, Minister Sabry said that he was not aware of such a situation.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had to seek shelter in Male in mid-July before flying to Thailand after the US refused to issue him a visa. Responding to another query, Minister Sabry said that he didn’t inquire from the former President about the circumstances he was denied the visa.

Responding to other print and electronic media, the former Justice Minister stressed that Sri Lanka was ready to form a Truth Seeking Commission to address the grievances of those who suffered during the conflict. The President’s Counsel said there was a responsibility on the part of the government to ensure that the armed forces, too, get an opportunity to answer accusations directed at them.

Minister Sabry reiterated the stand taken by his predecessor Prof. G. L. Peiris that whatever the solution that couldn’t be outside the Constitution under any circumstances. The minister stressed that President Wickremesinghe’s government was prepared to set up a domestic mechanism (Truth Seeking Commission) in line with the Constitution.

Minister Sabry said that an external mechanism established to gather evidence pertaining to alleged war crimes was not acceptable to Sri Lanka.

At the onset of the briefing, Minister Sabry explained that the staff level agreement with the IMF entirely depended on the success in working out debt restructuring plan with Sri Lanka’s creditors. Referring to President Wickremesinghe policy statement and the interim budget, Minister Sabry explained measures taken by the government to improve the ground situation.

The Foreign Minister strongly defended measures taken by President Wickremesinghe to restore law and order. Acknowledging that those who had been struggling to make ends meet launched street protests, Minister Sabry alleged that certain elements exploited the situation. The failure to take countermeasures would have plunged the country into a vicious circle of violence, Minister Sabry said, alleging a section of the foreign media of giving only one sided story.

Minister Sabry said that if the anarchic situation was allowed to continue we would have ended up like Libya, Iraq or Venezuela. In spite of them having quite extensive natural resources, they still couldn’t recover as their institutions had been destroyed, the minister said.