International law suits a double-edged game, warns former AG

Throwing down the gauntlet on war crime law suits against top Sri Lankan military personnel, former Attorney General Mohan Peiris yesterday said that they could take the fight to those who are behind the cases.

Attending the press conference with Plantations Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, he called the law suits a “vulgar general threat” and insisted that the Government was not intimidated by the action.

He also emphasised on the fact that the Government had the right to give prominent military personnel diplomatic positions and could not be preventing from doing so by the actions of a few individuals.

“Major General Shavendra Silva should be protected by his diplomatic immunities, but if he is in any way vulnerable, the Government will take steps to protect him. We are always ready to protect him or others similarly accused,” he stressed.

Lodging law suits against war crimes is a “double-edged game” he warned, going on to say that the Government could also respond with its own legal action against certain parties that allegedly committed atrocities.

“Just because we are humble enough to take a laidback view, it does not mean that we can be pushed around. This law suit game can be played by both sides.”