President has people's interest at heart - Bogollagama

Nadira Gunatilleke

"The Recommendations of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) can be implemented promptly for the sake of implementation and to avoid International pressure. However, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has the best interest of the Sri Lankan people at heart, former Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told the Daily News,Wednesday.

In an interview with the Daily News former Minister Bogollagama said that the 'human rights crusade' launched in Geneva against Sri Lanka is not just a matter concerning President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It matters to the entire country, its independence and sovereignty. Therefore all political parties should forget their party colours, symbols and unite to fight against this issue. The public should rally round the government at this moment.

The former minister pointed out that the LLRC was appointed by the Sri Lankan Government and its report released only a few weeks ago.

There was unnecessary and undue haste in Geneva in terms of bringing Sri Lanka into the agenda which was rightly pointed out by the government very accurately. "A section of the International community treated us in this manner and now that it has been proposed by US, what matters most is the procedure followed by certain sections of the International community in connection with this than the substance of the resolution.

"Though the LTTE is inactive in Sri Lanka in terms of armed movement any more, it is alive in the world as a strong campaigner against the democratically elected and established Government of Sri Lanka.

"Their front organizations, support groups, the LTTE section of the Tamil Diaspora that has given value to the LTTE and formed a strong support group with the support of some Western countries. Some of these groups matter to some politicians in the Western world.

"They continue to target Sri Lanka without leaving room or a space for the Sri Lankan Government to implement its own findings, the former minister said. The Sri Lankan Government continued negotiations with the LTTE which started from Thimpu. It reached Geneva in 2006.

"A section of the International community backed the LTTE and identified them as a group that had to be dealt through negotiations.

"Then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe entered into a ceasefire with the LTTE.

"We offered negotiation, peace and a ceasefire to the LTTE and received only death, destruction and total anarchy especially in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. How did the LTTE manage to go this far questioned the former minister,".