Govt. must counter CBK’S remarks: GL

The Government should counter the allegations made by ex-president Chandrika Kumaratunga that armed forces personnel were sexually abusing women in the North, SLPP Chairman G.L Peiris said.

He said the allegations levelled by Ms. Kumaratunga, who heads the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), were of a serious nature and could be used against Sri Lankan forces at the upcoming UNHRC sessions in Geneva.

Mr. Peiris said the Government can’t allow the army to defend itself and keep mum over these baseless remarks.

“When serious allegations were made in the past, I, as the then external affairs minister on behalf of the government categorically denied such allegations. Today, the Army has denied the allegations but the government is remaining silent on this matter,” he told a news conference.

Mr. Peiris said the remarks made by Ms. Kumaratunga, who was then the Commander in Chief of the armed forces and the country’s president would be used to justify the allegations levelled against the security forces personnel by the international community through the UNHRC resolution.

Ms. Kumaratunga had said last week that women who were widowed during the war were among the victims of abuse by officials who frequently demand sexual favours just to carry out routine paperwork.

She said there was a lot of sexual abuse still continuing to be carried out by officials and some members of the armed forces.

However, the Sri Lanka Army categorically denied her statement and said such baseless assertions would only jeopardize the reconciliation process.