Sri Lankan President warns of attempts to scuttle peace in the country

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-3-27 15:53:54

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapapaksa on Wednesday warned of attempts both locally and internationally to scuttle the peace in the island nation and urged all Sri Lankans not to fall prey to such pressure.

Addressing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party ceremony in Temple Trees in Colombo, Rajapaksa said that it is the right of all Sri Lankans to ensure that peace is protected in the country without falling prey to any rumors.

He also recalled that during the island's civil war there was a lot of pressure exerted by some countries on the Sri Lankan government but the government stood firm in achieving its objectives and protected the interest of its people in the process.

Rajapaksa further said that the people in the north and south of the island were living together in unity following the end of the war with the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels and such peace and unity must not be broken by any party or individual.

Rajapaksa's comments come within a week after a US sponsored resolution was passed against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Humans Rights Council in Geneva.

Sri Lanka's immediate neighbor and 'big brother' India, also voted against the island nation and said it would encourage Sri Lanka to expedite the process of broad-based, inclusive and meaningful reconciliation.

Days after the resolution was passed, the United States also warned that international action maybe initiated on Sri Lanka if the island fails to implement the latest resolution adopted at the UN Human Rights Council.

The United States said that Sri Lanka should listen to the words of the international community and implement the plans that they have never implemented.

After defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009, Rajapaksa's government has been under continuous international pressure especially from the Western countries who have been calling for an international and independent probe into war crimes allegations during the final phases of the war.

Posted in: Asia-Pacific

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