Some are never satisfied — Gota

Friday, 19 August 2011 01:30

By Kelum Bandara

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said yesterday that the elements that made war crimes allegations against Sri Lanka were never satisfied, whatever response was given by the government to counter them. 

The defence secretary was speaking at a function to mark the launch of the website ‘www.outofwar.com’ and three publications to counter certain sections of the international community who make various allegations against Sri Lanka concerning war crimes and human rights violations during the latter part of the war.

Mr. Rajapaksa said that the government had countered these allegations in the best possible manner, but these elements persisted in making allegation after allegation against the Sri Lankan state. 

“They know the credibility of our replies. Yet these forces are not satisfied with our responses.

It is patent that they have a hidden agenda. They continue to assail Sri Lanka with more and more allegations. They are aware that they cannot achieve their goals as long as President Mahinda Rajapaksa is at the helm of affairs. Therefore, their motive is to bring about a change in the system,” he said.

He recalled how the government took steps to rehabilitate all the child soldiers and reintegrate them into society through an effective mechanism – which steps had been acclaimed by various international organisations. Also, he said, 95 percent of the displaced civilians had been resettled in their original places of residence.

“Fewer than 8000 people are yet to be resettled. All the child soldiers have been rehabilitated and reunited with their families.  Steps have been taken to conduct elections democratically in the areas cleared of LTTE terrorism,” he said.

Despite all these positive steps by the government, he said, it was all the more regrettable to note that it  was some Sri Lankans who were responsible for giving information to these elements with vested interests to cook up allegations against Sri Lanka.

“It is some of our own   people who do it. It is regrettable,” he said.

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