Int’l role in war crimes probe will be decided through consultations-Cabinet spokesperson

By Shamindra Ferdinando-October 22, 2015

Admitting that the level of foreign participation in the proposed war crimes court hadn’t been decided as yet, Cabinet spokesman and health minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne yesterday said that the judicial mechanism for inquiring into accountability issues here would be set up in keeping with an agreement to be reached between the UN and the government of Sri Lanka.

Addressing the media at the Government Information Department, Minister Senaratne explained possible foreign participation ranging from supervision of the proposed domestic judicial mechanism to participation of foreign judges.

The Cabinet Spokesperson was responding to a query by The Island regarding Attorney-at-law J. C. Weliamuna’s recent declaration at the Information  Department that foreign participation was inevitable as Sri Lanka lacked capacity to address the accountability issues.

Confirming Weliamuna’s contention, Dr. Senaratne claimed that the UN would have hardened its stand on Sri Lanka if Paranagama and Udalagama reports on accountability issues had been released before Geneva adopted the Geneva Resolution on Sept. 30.

The Cabinet Spokesman said that those who had been calling for the release of Paranagama and Udalagama reports were obviously surprised by some of the content as well as recommendations. Dr. Senaratne said that the Paranagama Report had dealt with the Channel 4 News issue, ‘white flag killings’ as well as the killing of Isipriya in a way not to the liking of those opposed to the Geneva process.

Responding to a second question on the same issue, Dr. Senaratne said that the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government had been able to secure