Colombo: A defiant President Mahinda Rajapaksa today once again rejected demands for an international inquiry into alleged war crimes during the military campaign against the LTTE, saying countries should not “dictate” to Sri Lanka.
A day after British Prime Minister David Cameron gave an ultimatum for free and independent probe into human rights violations in the country and called for a life of dignity and respect for the Tamils, Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka needed time for reconciliation and there cannot be a time limit for it. “We have a legal system and constitution.
We have a process, it has started. It will take time. We have to change the mindset of the people not only in the north but also in the south,” he told a media conference here at the conclusion of the three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
“The conflict was there for 30 years. Not just Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims also suffered. It is my responsibility to look after them. But you cannot say you have to do this in one week or three or four months. It is unfair,” Rajapaksa said.
