UN charges against Amunupura may rebound on Army

The UN’S request to repatriate Kalana Amunupura, the Commander of the Sri Lankan contingent in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, will have serious repercussions on the entire army, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) said yesterday.

SLPP Chairman G.L. Peiris said serious allegations, such as those of shelling UN sites and hospitals in Puthukuduirippu and Puthumathalan and torturing and killing LTTE surrendees have been levelled against him merely on the words of Yasmin Sooka, a panelist in the experts panel appointed by the UN Secretary General to compile a report on Sri Lanka.

He said Ms. Sooka levelled these allegations without any evidence or inquiry. “It will have serious repercussions not only on the 58th Division but on the entire Sri Lankan Army,” Prof. Peiris said and added that the government had again displayed its inability to handle foreign relations. “If it were our government, we would have asked for the basis of such allegations,” he said and added that the UNHRC resolution 30/1 of October 1, 2015 committed Sri Lanka to an international tribunal comprising commonwealth and foreign judges and therefore such allegations against the military would be serious.

I request them to take his illness into consideration and drop all false charges against him. If they cannot release him immediately, I hope they will make sure that he gets mental health treatment