Kohona questions value of Commonwealth

Friday, 18 January 2013 00:52 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Palitha Kohona has questioned the value of the Commonwealth when he was asked to comment on the criticism of the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake by the Commonwealth.

When Inner City Press asked about the criticism of the impeachment by the Commonwealth, Kohona answered rhetorically, “What is the value of the Commonwealth?” Meanwhile speaking at the UN Security Council, Kohona has said that the organisation must grapple with terrorism and aim to end or dramatically lessen the human suffering and misery it caused.

A victim of terrorism for almost three decades, Sri Lanka learned early the value of confronting terrorism’s links to international trafficking, money-laundering, weapons smuggling and cyber crime networks, he said.

He said that the LTTE had received ready funding from sympathisers abroad and coerced terrified civilians to contribute to their cause.

“Even during Sri Lanka’s post-conflict phase, pre-existing networks in transit and developing countries continued to exploit human misery. Prosecution of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam fundraisers and arms procurers continued.

Since the conflict ended, Sri Lanka had focused on rehabilitation, reconstruction, reintegration and reconciliation. It had re-established democratic processes and held local Government elections in former conflict areas, as well as set up a Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission. More than 11,000 former combatants had been rehabilitated and allowed to return home,” he said. (Colombo Gazette)