'UNSG's panel report biased'

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

'Patriotic Bhikkhu Front, Ruhunu Rata Bhikkhu Front and Chinthana Parshadaya condemn the biased and ill-informed report prepared by the expert panel appointed by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to advice him on human rights issues related to Sri Lanka's struggle to liberate its citizens from LTTE in 2009, said Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera.

'A majority of countries had endorsed Sri Lanka's fight against terrrorism. There is no doubt that Ban Ki Moon also agreed with this at that time. Sri Lanka is a member of the United Nations and UN has a responsibility to protect its members. But Ban was doing the opposite, Nalaka Thera added.

Ven Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera was addressing a press briefing at the Mahaveli Centre yesterday. It was organized by the Patriotic Bhikkhu Front in collaboration with the Ruhunu Rata Bhikkhu Front and Chinthana Parshadaya.

'Sri Lanka is the only country which had succeeded in eradicating terrorism from its soil. Because of that others feel humiliated and are finding fault with Sri Lanka. They are trying to blame President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, said Ruhunu Rata Bhikkhu Front's representative Ven. Parawahera Kassapa Thera.

'UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon had become a puppet of the West and he is doing whatever they say. But no one can destroy the peace achieved and all the Sri Lankans should stand against such forces, Kassapa Thera added.

'Ban Ki Moon was not the first person to create problems for Sri Lanka. Robert O'Blake and Hillary Clinton were the first to do so. Because of that Ban has no clear vision about these matters and he always obeys European countries' commands, said Chinthana Parshadaya Convener Prof Nalin de Silva.

'The expert panel which was appointed by Ban Ki Moon had not paid their attention to the terrorist activities of the LTTE. They are talking only about the government.

'They do not know that Sri Lankan government paid salaries to doctors who had worked for the LTTE. Sri Lankan government knows its responsibilities well, he further added.