|
|
Reports of Sri Lanka missing `overhyped` -minister
Friday, 3 August 2007 - 10:22 PM SL Time
|
|
|
Reports of hundreds of disappearances in Sri Lanka are overhyped and they can be explained by poor record-keeping rather than sinister activities, the country`s foreign minister said on Friday.
Rohitha Bogollagama also told Reuters that the tropical island needed no external help to investigate cases of civilians who have disappeared amid renewed civil war between the state and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
`If there are disappearances it`s only a few numbers. These are disappearances that can be investigated. Our legal system is so rich one can go to the supreme court of the country and raise any matter,` said Bogollagama in an interview in Manila.
`They (the disappearances) are overhyped.`
Some officials have said many of those reported missing had gone on holiday abroad or eloped with lovers.
Colombo is under international pressure to investigate accusations of abuse by the military as it fights the separatist Tigers in a conflict that has killed about 70,000 people since 1983.
Rights groups say hundreds of people, many of them minority ethnic Tamils, have been reported abducted or disappeared this year and 1,000 more in 2006. Rebels, paramilitaries, members of the security forces and underworld gangs have all been blamed.
Bogollagama, in Manila for a regional security forum, said many of the disappearances could be explained by people failing to registering properly or authorities not recording their moves to different provinces.
The trained lawyer said the government was introducing a new identification system to better track movements in the east of the country, where the military has captured vast swathes of territory from rebels in recent months.
TAKEN TO TASK
But he admitted that the army has failed in the past to properly probe disappearances and the government was trying to make its military more accountable.
`For the first time the law enforcement of the army is being taken to task by the government. There are prosecutions taking place against some of the failures to have these things carried out, we want to encourage that process.`
In May, Britain decided to halt millions of dollars in aid to Sri Lanka citing concerns about human rights abuses. A senior U.S. State Department official urged Colombo to rein in paramilitaries that defence experts say are helping the army fight the Tigers.
The Sri Lankan government has repeatedly said it is ready to restart talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), or Tamil Tigers, which it has fought for more than two decades.
But military offensives and the Tigers` refusal to talk peace with President Mahinda Rajapaksa make discussions unlikely.
`We do not want a truce just for the sake of putting this behind (us). We want to see that terrorism no longer exists in Sri Lanka.`
Bogollagama, a father of two, said a tattered 2002 truce, brokered by Norway, had conceded too much to the Tigers.
`The application of that had become totally sided more on the LTTE trying to get ground,` he said. `There is one territory, that`s called Sri Lanka.`
The Tigers have vowed to cripple the economy with guerrilla-style attacks on major military and financial targets but Bogollagama said it was an empty threat.
`They have been doing and saying this for the last 30 years and in spite of that the economy has still grown.`
|
|
|
punchimahinda
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1423
Member Profile
|
 3 Aug 2007 15:34:26 GMT Report for Abuse
|
This is natural.disapearances are essential to eliminate the terrorism.Gothambaya assured that no sinhala or unp person would go on missing but ltte terrorists & eelam tamils(ltte loya tamils).Even developed countries like USA are also adopting same policy used by our Mahinda.CIA abducted suspected Al-Qaeda operatives from europe & transported them to secret locations in ukraine & other countries.Al Qaeda operatives are still going missing in USA & EU.Mahinda is only abducting identified LTTE terrorists & suspected ltte operatives.
Edited By - punchimahinda - 3 Aug 2007 15:42:23 G |
laliths
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3885
Member Profile
|
 3 Aug 2007 15:35:17 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Oh, They must be in a resort with the whole family
on GOSL account.
What lucky guys!
Our legal system is so rich one can go to the supreme court of the country and raise any matter
As if he is going to pay the bills.
Grow up Rohitha, Which ordinary guy can afford that.
Edited By - laliths - 3 Aug 2007 15:39:13 GMT |
Revy
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 13742
Member Profile
|
3 Aug 2007 15:42:45 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Seems the only thing overhyped here is the intelligence of your FM, LOL
must have thought he was speaking to southern village idiots to try and sell this hogwash to the international community...idiot. |
chinthanaya
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2941
Member Profile
|
 3 Aug 2007 15:43:47 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Our legal system is so rich one can go to the supreme court of the country and raise any matter,' said Bogollagama
Joke of the Year! White van will wait outside the supreme court.
More on supreme court.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarath_N._Silva
appointment as Chief Justice evoked widespread protest in the media, mainly because he was not the most senior judge in Sri Lanka and Chandrika Kumaratunga was perceived as using him to control the supreme court decisions.
Edited By - chinthanaya - 3 Aug 2007 15:49:22 GMT |
Aani
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 7917
Member Profile
|
3 Aug 2007 15:46:05 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Friends (Sinhala and Tamil),
Today we celebrate a small victory for Secular forces. The handle JVPForce is now a spent force after blowing his cover.
I apologize for wasting LNP space but I got involved only after he talked about the Tamils becoming extinct and started abusing people in bad language. I will not get involved in a chat situation again but I can assure you that this guy will not dare to post racist or abusive comments using the above handle.
He may still continue using handles like Friday13 but I sincerely hope that he will reform himself. There is no place for racism in a civilized society.
Once again I apologize for the time.
Bye and have a great day/night! |
thasheeeela
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 959
Member Profile
|
 3 Aug 2007 16:09:29 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Our legal system is so rich one can go to the supreme court of the country and raise any matter
So he knew police can't handle this abduction cases. can we fight in supreme court about the inability of police or the government? I think we only need supreme court to get death certificates. |
Thambi
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 12259
Member Profile
|
3 Aug 2007 16:12:42 GMT Report for Abuse
|
| Goverment of Srilanka is a terrorist state , justifying disappearances of innocent people ! like Sudan ! |
Thambi
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 12259
Member Profile
|
3 Aug 2007 16:14:01 GMT Report for Abuse
|
The man who bought a Mercedes-Benz car from Jathika Hela Urumaya leader and parliamentarian Venerable Ellawala Medhananda Thera, which was imported by him duty free, has been abducted.
Hemantha Nishantha, who is also a supporter of the United National Party, was kidnapped by an unknown group in the early hours of this morning (August 03rd), Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said. |
laliths
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3885
Member Profile
|
3 Aug 2007 16:16:58 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Aani,
In short you reported this guy for abuse and the guy is a goner.
Stop apologizing!
How come I missed the action. I would have been in a different time zone.
Can you post what he said, by link.
Edited By - laliths - 3 Aug 2007 16:18:18 GMT |
Thambi
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 12259
Member Profile
|
3 Aug 2007 16:17:09 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Http://www.tamilcanadian.com/page.php?cat=501&id=5119
Hundreds of relatives of Sri Lankan civilians who have disappeared amid renewed civil war between the state and Tamil Tiger rebels called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government on Wednesday to find them.
Rights groups say hundreds of people, many of them minority ethnic Tamils, have been reported abducted or disappeared this year and 1,000 more in 2006. Rebels, paramilitaries, elements of the security forces, and underworld gangs have all been blamed. please answers ! |
|
Search All News and Discussions