Sri Lankan minister fasts against UN rights probe
AP – By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A Sri Lankan cabinet minister started a hunger strike Thursday in front of the U.N. office after the world body refused to halt its investigation into alleged human rights abuses during the country’s civil war.
Buddhist monks chanted blessings and some 100 national flag-waving supporters cheered as Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa got on a stage and proclaimed he decided to fast to stop what opponents believe would be an unfair prosecution of Sri Lankan armed forces and political leaders for war crimes.
Human rights groups have accused government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels of deliberately targeting civilians last year as fighting drew a close in the 25-year war.
Sri Lanka UN Protest
According to the U.N. more than 7,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the last five months of the fighting, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed a three-member panel last month to advise him on accountability for the alleged atrocities.
“I will fast until the U.N. panel is dissolved and Ban Ki-moon gives an assurance that he will not label the soldiers and political leaders who brought peace to Sri Lanka as war criminals,” Weerawansa told the gathering.
He said the panel was set up with the motive of “hunting down” the soldiers.
“I am prepared to die fasting. If I die during this fast, I request the patriotic fellow citizens to carry forward this struggle to safeguard the soldiers who protected the country.”
Weerawansa, who leads the ultranationalist National Freedom Front, an ally of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government, also asked friendly nations to stop the U.N. initiative.
He led hundreds of protesters Tuesday and trapped U.N employees inside their office but all of them were freed after the country’s foreign secretary intervened. A smaller sit-in Wednesday had ended by Thursday, and U.N. employees were working in the building or from home.
The U.N. has refused to accede to Weerawansa’s demand.
“The panel has been created and they will go about their work, so that’s clear,” associate spokesman Farhan Haq said at U.N. headquarters in New York on Wednesday.
AP
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This man, Hon WW is the ultimate patriot. He was steadfast in his determination to eliminate the Sun God and his Terrorist Tamil tribe. He was a pillar of moral support to HE Mahinda Rajapakse in the single-handed war against the Sun God and his Terorist Tamil tribes. And now he ahs decided to sacrifice his life in his war against the imperialist Bangi Moon who is being driven towrads insanity by the rotten Obarma administration. Thank god Gordon Brown has retired; if he was still squatting in No10, Downing St, he will be screaming from the top of the Westminster Abbey. Bangi Moon has no option but to sack his panel right now. The civil unrest and popular uprising of the Sinhala Buddhist Citizenry that will follow Hon WW’s matyrdom will be bigger than that we brought Ferdinand Marcos down from power.
All patriotic Sri Lankans are with you Wimal.
Anthony Jones is clearly the rectum licker of Ban Ki-Moon, Navi Pillai and the US President. Isn’t it time this bigot is shot into outer space to lick the rectums of Martians perhaps?
May all Gods Budha,Shiva,Jesus and Alla, please help this Mad Man, who is a pupput of some one else. God Bless
Well done.Poor ex-JVP.Dont forget how you acted in 1971?! to laugh