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Gandhi endorses allegations of war crimes against Sri Lanka
January 9, 2016, 9:27 am
By Shamindra Ferdinando
One-time Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Gopalkrishna Gandhi yesterday accused the previous government of having executed LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s son during the final phase of the Vanni offensive in May 2009.
Gandhi alleged that the Sri Lankan military had executed 12-year-old Balachandran because he was the younger son of the LTTE’ leader. The retired Indian career diplomat subscribed to the allegation of mass scale killings of civilians during the final assault though he refrained from mentioning an exact figure.
Gandhi was delivering the keynote address at a ceremony to mark the completion of President Maithripala Sirisena’s first year in office, at the BMICH.
Gandhi served as Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka in 2000 before taking over Indian mission in Oslo. Gandhi addressed the gathering after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who briefly explained the existing UNP-SLFP partnership and future projects.
War winning Army Chief Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka was in the audience. The Colombo-based diplomatic community including UN Resident Representative Subinay Nandy and Indian High Commissioner Y. K. Sinha were among the guests.
Field Marshal Fonseka has denied accusations pertaining to Balachandran’s execution.
Paying a glowing tribute to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for giving resolute political leadership to Sri Lanka’s victory over the world’s most ruthless terrorist organization, the former Indian HC endorsed so far unsubstantiated war crimes allegations.
India voted twice in 2012 and 2013 for resolutions moved against Sri Lanka at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Many an eyebrow was raised at the timing of Gandhi’s statement meant to give credence to war crimes allegations.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on Thursday declared that preparations for the setting up of war crimes court would begin next week.
The guest speaker went to the extent of declaring that there wouldn’t have been no requirement for Prabhakaran to take up arms if Sri Lanka had addressed the grievances of Tamil speaking people raised by past Tamil leaders.
Having formed the LTTE in the early 1980s, India deployed its Army here (July 1987-March 1990) leading to the loss of over 1,500 of its officers and men.
Gandhi urged Sri Lanka not to repeat the past mistakes of her previous leaders, while urging the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government to accommodate Tamil representatives in the cabinet even at the expense of current Constitutional provisions. Gandhi pushed the Sri Lankan leadership to follow the South African example of accommodating more South Africans of Indian origin in Mandela’s cabinet.
Gandhi also referred to the killing of The Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickremetunga on January 8, 2009.
The Island
January 9, 2016, 9:27 am
By Shamindra Ferdinando
One-time Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Gopalkrishna Gandhi yesterday accused the previous government of having executed LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s son during the final phase of the Vanni offensive in May 2009.
Gandhi alleged that the Sri Lankan military had executed 12-year-old Balachandran because he was the younger son of the LTTE’ leader. The retired Indian career diplomat subscribed to the allegation of mass scale killings of civilians during the final assault though he refrained from mentioning an exact figure.
Gandhi was delivering the keynote address at a ceremony to mark the completion of President Maithripala Sirisena’s first year in office, at the BMICH.
Gandhi served as Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka in 2000 before taking over Indian mission in Oslo. Gandhi addressed the gathering after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who briefly explained the existing UNP-SLFP partnership and future projects.
War winning Army Chief Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka was in the audience. The Colombo-based diplomatic community including UN Resident Representative Subinay Nandy and Indian High Commissioner Y. K. Sinha were among the guests.
Field Marshal Fonseka has denied accusations pertaining to Balachandran’s execution.
Paying a glowing tribute to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for giving resolute political leadership to Sri Lanka’s victory over the world’s most ruthless terrorist organization, the former Indian HC endorsed so far unsubstantiated war crimes allegations.
India voted twice in 2012 and 2013 for resolutions moved against Sri Lanka at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Many an eyebrow was raised at the timing of Gandhi’s statement meant to give credence to war crimes allegations.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on Thursday declared that preparations for the setting up of war crimes court would begin next week.
The guest speaker went to the extent of declaring that there wouldn’t have been no requirement for Prabhakaran to take up arms if Sri Lanka had addressed the grievances of Tamil speaking people raised by past Tamil leaders.
Having formed the LTTE in the early 1980s, India deployed its Army here (July 1987-March 1990) leading to the loss of over 1,500 of its officers and men.
Gandhi urged Sri Lanka not to repeat the past mistakes of her previous leaders, while urging the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government to accommodate Tamil representatives in the cabinet even at the expense of current Constitutional provisions. Gandhi pushed the Sri Lankan leadership to follow the South African example of accommodating more South Africans of Indian origin in Mandela’s cabinet.
Gandhi also referred to the killing of The Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickremetunga on January 8, 2009.
The Island
