Sri Lankan president ‘determined to face UN resolution to protect pride of armed forces’
04 February 2016
The military parade in Colombo saw almost 10,000 Sri Lankan troops, fighter jets and military tanks on show at a ceremony attended by the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, former President Mrs Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka.
Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan was also in attendance, marking only the second time in 44 years that a Tamil leader has attended the occasion, after decades of boycotts over the oppression of the Tamil people. [more]
04 February 2016
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena declared his government was “determined to face” a UN Human Rights Council resolution in order to protect the “pride and dignity” of the armed forces.
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Speaking at a military parade to mark Independence Day, Mr Sirisena criticised the previous government for not taking steps which would have prevented the UN resolution from being passed in September 2015.
“The government is determined to face the UNHRC resolution with the collective strength of all sections to protect and preserve the national pride as well as the pride and dignity of our armed forces that had made numerous sacrifices to safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country,” he declared, according to the official President's Media Division.
“The government is determined to face the UNHRC resolution with the collective strength of all sections to protect and preserve the national pride as well as the pride and dignity of our armed forces that had made numerous sacrifices to safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country,” he declared, according to the official President's Media Division.
 Sri Lankan Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers on parade in Colombo on Thursday. They were used extensively throughout the armed conflict and thought to be responsible for a number of civilian casualties. |
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The military parade in Colombo saw almost 10,000 Sri Lankan troops, fighter jets and military tanks on show at a ceremony attended by the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, former President Mrs Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka.
Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan was also in attendance, marking only the second time in 44 years that a Tamil leader has attended the occasion, after decades of boycotts over the oppression of the Tamil people. [more]
