The wait is finally over, with co-hosts New Zealand taking on Sri Lanka in the first match of the 2015 World Cup. The Black Caps go into the tournament with an unusually large amount of expectation on their shoulders following a superb run of performances over the past few months.
The Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) led Tamil National Alliance (TNA) run Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has reiterated its call for a UN investigation into what it calls genocide committed by successive Sri Lankan governments since 1948, in spite of Mavai S. Senathirajah, General Secretary of both organisations, ruling out a wider UN role here.
It cannot be a coincidence that immediately following the visits to the North by US and British officials that the Northern Provincial Council has passed a Resolution claiming genocide by Sri Lanka. What needs to be reiterated is that the common enemy of Sri Lanka and its people was the LTTE which was militarily vanquished by the Armed Forces in May 2009.
Terming the resolution an ‘extremist position,’ Health Minister and Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said President Maithripala Sirisena had promised to initiate an internationally approved, domestic inquiry process into alleged war crimes committed by Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE.
It was just one month ago that Sri Lanka surprised the world by electing opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena as president, rejecting the authoritarianism, corruption and dynastic politics of the administration of the incumbent, Mahinda Rajapaksa. President Sirisena has moved swiftly to usher in a new chapter of hope for Sri Lanka.
