{"id":69029,"date":"2020-05-27T21:03:11","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T02:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=69029"},"modified":"2020-05-28T00:51:39","modified_gmt":"2020-05-28T05:51:39","slug":"in-any-armed-conflict-maintaining-human-rights-of-an-individual-is-akin-to-preventing-muddy-puddles-during-rain-sri-lankan-president-rajapaksas-media-division-responds-to-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=69029","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIn any armed conflict, maintaining human rights of an individual is akin to preventing muddy puddles during rain.\u201d – Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa’s Media Division Responds to News Report in Indian Newspaper “The Hindu”"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nResponding to the report \u2018Sri Lanka will not tolerate targeting of war heroes: Gotabaya Rajapaksa’ published on May 20 in The Hindu, the office of the President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has said the article did not reflect \u201cthe real situation\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The President\u2019s Media Division, in a written response, pointed to its reference to several Sri Lankan soldiers, especially top officers, being accused of human rights violations during and soon after the war, and said: \u201cIn any armed conflict, maintaining human rights of an individual is akin to preventing muddy puddles during rain.\u201d Due to the \u201cvolatile\u201d nature of warfare, International Humanitarian Laws are \u201cnot a set of clear-cut rules in black and white that one may tick off against.\u201d \u201cInstead, it must take into consideration the principles of distinction and legitimate targeting, military necessity and proportionality to judge a military operation for its action,\u201d the statement said, adding that no official documentation had \u201cproven allegations\u201d of war crimes.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

On the reference to Mr. Rajapaksa recently pardoning a soldier convicted for the murder of eight Tamil civilians, the statement said, the President had used his powers according to the Constitution. \u201cAfter taking 13 years to sentence Ratnayake, the court still held reasonable doubts. Sri Lanka pardoned, without trial, 14,500 arrested or surrendered LTTE cadres. Amongst them were those who too had committed similar or worse acts as the one Ratnayake was embroiled. Therefore, for Sri Lanka to pardon Ratnayake also is not unreasonable or unethical,\u201d said the statement.<\/p>\n

The reference in the report to Sri Lanka\u2019s Army Commander as \u201ca general accused of war crimes\u201d is \u201cvery unfair\u201d, the statement said, noting that the allegations are \u201cunsubstantiated and arbitrary\u201d. The National Ranaviru [\u2018War heroes\u2019] Day \u201cis not just a day to salute the fallen soldier, but to celebrate the peace that their supreme sacrifice ushered into the country\u201d. Pointing to the report\u2019s description of the LTTE as a \u201crebel\u201d outfit, the statement said it was a \u201cterrorist\u201d group. Further, contesting the reference to an estimated 40,000 casualties during the final phase of the war, the statement said the figure, cited in past UN reports, was a \u201cguess\u201d and \u201cnot an estimate\u201d.<\/p>\n

Denying that militarisation was \u201ca lingering concern in post-war Sri Lanka\u201d as mentioned in the news report, the statement said there were \u201ca number of instances where closely bonded relations between the security forces and people in the area had surfaced.\u201d<\/p>\n

Courtesy:The Hindu<\/em><\/p>\n

****************************
\n
\nSri Lanka will not tolerate targeting of war heroes: Gotabaya Rajapaksa<\/strong><\/p>\n

By<\/p>\n

Meera Srinivasan<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday said the country will not hesitate to exit international bodies that continuously \u201ctargeted\u201d its soldiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf any international body or organisation continuously target our country and our war heroes, using baseless allegations, I will also not hesitate to withdraw Sri Lanka from such bodies or organisations,\u201d he said, speaking at the 11th anniversary of the end of the civil war, marked as \u201cRanaviru [War Heroes] Day\u201d in the island\u2019s south.<\/p>\n

Human rights violations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several Sri Lankan soldiers, especially top officers, have been accused of human rights violations during and soon after the war. The UN and international human rights watchdogs have repeatedly flagged serious allegations of rights abuse, pushing the Sri Lankan government on war-time accountability.<\/p>\n

In Sri Lanka\u2019s Sinhala-majority south, however, military personnel are hailed as \u201csaviours against terrorism\u201d, and enjoy state patronage.<\/p>\n

In March, President Rajapaksa pardoned a solider convicted for the murder of eight Tamil civilians, including children, in 2000. In August 2019, then President Maithripala Sirisena named a General accused of war crimes as the Army commander. Major General Shavendra Silva is currently leading a task force to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u2018Remembrance Day\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The annual celebratory event to acknowledge the military\u2019s role in ending the separatist war comes a day after northern Tamils observe \u2018Remembrance Day\u2019, to pay tributes to several thousands of their relatives, including civilians, killed as the state armed forces took on the rebel LTTE during the nearly three decade-war. In its final phase alone, in May 2009, an estimated 40,000 persons died.<\/p>\n

While police in the north asked citizens to avoid gatherings on Monday, and in some cases, questioned those who held prayer meetings \u2014 despite physical distancing and masks \u2014 the government went ahead with an event at the war memorial near the Parliament in Colombo, with senior military officials and ministers in attendance.<\/p>\n

President Rajapaksa said that while leaders of powerful countries had emphatically stated they would not allow any action against their war heroes, he too would not allow anyone to exert undue pressure on \u201cwar heroes\u201d of a small country. \u201cPain of the war is not strange to me,\u201d said the leader, who served in the Army before being appointed Defence Secretary under his brother and current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was President for a decade until 2015.<\/p>\n

In a statement released on Monday, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa lashed out at political opponents for creating an \u201cartificial social dichotomy\u201d between \u2018military\u2019 and \u2018civilian\u2019. \u201cIf a retired member of the armed forces is appointed to some position in the government, that is being portrayed by the opposition as militarisation,\u201d he said, referring to criticism of his government\u2019s recent appointments of serving and retired military men to top bureaucratic posts.<\/p>\n

Militarisation has been a lingering concern in post-war Sri Lanka, with the Army\u2019s visible involvement in many areas, including agriculture and education.<\/p>\n

Mahinda Rajapaksa said the \u2018Ranaviru [war heroes]\u2019 constituency was now an integral part of the clergy, doctors, teachers, farmers and workers. \u201cSo whenever we happen to be in power, there will always be former members of the armed forces and police holding various positions in the government,\u201d he said, commending the military\u2019s efforts in combating COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

Courtesy:The Hindu<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Responding to the report \u2018Sri Lanka will not tolerate targeting of war heroes: Gotabaya Rajapaksa’ published on May 20 in The Hindu, the office of the President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has said the article did not reflect \u201cthe real situation\u201d. The President\u2019s Media Division, in a written response, pointed to its reference to …<\/p>\n

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