No room for impunity - Foreign Minister

Manjula Fernando

KOTTE: Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera reassured Parliament yesterday that there would not be a culture of impunity in the country despite the Government's battle with one of the most ruthless terrorist organisations in the world.

Minister samaraweera said the Government would pursue full investigations into the recent killings and abductions.

The Minister said that if undisciplined elements exist in the Armed Forces, the Government will take stringent measures to punish them. "If there are undisciplined elements in the Armed Forces, the Military hierarchy should not hesitate to punish these miscreants who tarnish the image of our Armed Forces.

Extra judicial killings of even those guilty, abductions and kidnapping will not be condoned nor tolerated."

"I would not dare presume that the Government is without any shortcomings on its part. Nevertheless, the military has behaved in an extraordinarily disciplined manner under the most trying circumstances," Minister Samaraweera said.

Terrorism must be combatted vigorously and fearlessly but in doing so, we must always be aware of our obligations as a duly elected democratic Government.

All actions in combatting terrorism must be within the rule of the law. A democratic Government does not have the luxury of resorting to terrorism even while dealing with one of the most deadly terrorist groups in the world, he asserted.