Rajapaksa's governors blame UN Expert panel report as “irresponsible act”

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2011, 15:40 GMT]
The nine governors appointed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, including the two ex-military governors of North and East, Maj. Gen (retd.) G.A. Chandrasiri and Rear Admiral (red.) Mohan Wijewickrema, have come out with a joint statement accusing the UN Expert panel report as a “biased unilateral report which would bring discredit to the President and the Armed Forces thereby to the people of Sri Lanka.” Mohan Wijewickrema, the colonial SL governor of the Eastern Province has issued the press release in the capacity of the Chairman of 13th Governor’s Conference.

The statement by Rajapaksa's governors follows:

"The Governors of the Provinces in Sri Lanka note with deep concern and regret the decision of UN Secretary General to institute a Commission to Inquire into various allegations made during the conclusion of three decades of internal turmoil subjecting the entire population of Sri Lanka to the scourge of terrorism and for publishing against all norms of United Nation Organization and diplomacy, a biased unilateral report which would bring discredit to the President and the Armed Forces thereby to the people of Sri Lanka who suffered under the clutches of naked and horrific band of terrorists who devastated the once peaceful country.

“As Governors in-charge of the Provinces, we are well aware of the suffering that the people of South and North underwent due to indiscriminate bombings and other forms of violence by the LTTE, which claimed thousands of lives, maimed and orphaned a large cross section of the population irrespective of race, caste, creed or religion, subjecting people to all forms of misery and suffering.

"Instead of appreciating the valiant role of the Government for subjugating a terror group known as the worst terrorists in the world and rescuing thousands of innocent Tamil civilians held by force as human shields, the efforts by certain individuals to point a finger at the Government belittle all forms of astute statesmanship and all norms of international diplomacy.

“Such irresponsible action will certainly reverse the unprecedented successes achieved in 'confidence building' among various communities living in Sri Lanka in the recent past.

"It is in this backdrop that the Provincial Governors of Sri Lanka jointly request the UN Secretary General not to dampen the efforts of the Government to bring the country back to peace and prosperity, thereby afford the people a descent living after three decades of continues suffering by placing unsubstantiated blame unilaterally on the President and the Armed Forces who strived their very best to bring the country back to normalcy sacrificing many of their personnel in the process."