Sri Lanka will hold accountable every person accused of war crimes – Jaliya

Sri Lanka will hold accountable every person accused of war crimes during its decades-long civil conflict, Sri Lankan Ambassador to the US Jaliya Wickramasuriya said.

Ambassador Wickramasuriya said the suspects’ names are disclosed in eyewitness testimony that is posted on the website of the government-appointed commission that issued the report.

 “There are no names (in the report), but there is a process to check accountability,” Ambassador Wickramasuriya said in an interview with editors and reporters at The Washington Times.

 “We believe that a home-grown solution is the best solution for Sri Lanka,” he said.

Ambassador Wickramasuriya said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland’s recent comments about the LLRC report were inaccurate.

 “We were very upset about that statement,” he said. “The US is one of our very good friends, and we are a democratic country in the region. Sri Lanka should be credited at this time.”

Moreover, the report adequately addresses the last days of the conflict, the he said.

Ambassador said Sri Lanka’s military had undertaken a “humanitarian operation” during the war to protect civilians, noting that government forces needed two years to clear rebels from their eastern and northern strongholds.  “If we weren’t concerned about civilians, clearing that area wouldn’t take that long,” he said, acknowledging that there had been some civilian casualties.