No confidence motion against Sri Lanka opposition party deputy leader

The Sri Lankan government has today said that a no confidence motion will be brought against the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya.

Ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary and Minister Susil Premajayantha has said that the motion would be brought against Jayasuriya for making a statement to a local weekend paper claiming that alleged war crimes in the country should be probed.

National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader and Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa posed a question today on this matter to UNP Hambanthota district parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa, who said that war crimes were committed only by the LTTE.

Jayasuriya, in a lengthy statement to The Nation newspaper, while condemning the Britain's treatment to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit to the UK, said the government has consistently denied the allegations of war crimes and human right violations.

"The government, playing constantly to the sensibilities of its hawkish support base has consistently denied the allegations, refused to investigate even the more serious incidents of violence and extra-judicial killings and adopted an obtuse approach to global criticism by constantly making wild claims about international conspiracies," The Nation quoted Jayasuriya.

"While some may argue that there is a Western conspiracy to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka it would better serve us to realise that the image is but a reflection of reality. If the Sri Lankan government has intentionally targeted our own fellow civilians during the later part of the conflict, if its agents have killed and hounded journalists, stifled free speech and made a mockery of this country's proud democratic traditions paving the way for a dynastic autocracy then we, more than any other should be concerned regarding our plight. It will serve us well to introspectively reflect on what our own government has done or in many cases not done to attract such sanctions in the international arena", the statement has said.

During President's visit to London pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora groups in UK protested calling for President Rajapaksa's arrest under the universal jurisdiction for alleged war crimes committed during the final stages of the war last year.

President Rajapaksa in May 2010 appointed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission to probe the violations that took place during the last seven years of war which ended in May 2009.