No govt. decision yet to probe Matale mass grave – Nimal
All extra-judicial killings of all eras should be probed transparently – Sajith
-hgw.jpg)
By Ravi Ladduwahetty-April 5, 2013
The Government has not as yet decided to probe the Matale mass graves and the matter had not been even taken up at Cabinet level, a frontline government Minister said yesterday.
This follows the discovery of 154 skeletal remains in the Matale hospital grounds by digging the ground to set up a bio-gas plant in November last year. Radio carbon dating had revealed that the mass grave belonged to the 1987-1990 era, which was during the UNP governments led by Presidents J. R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa.
There had been no government decision taken on the matter and it had not been taken up even at Cabinet level, Leader of the House and Irrigation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told The Island yesterday.
He said that if at all, it should be President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the Defence Minister, who should initiate such a probe.
Meanwhile, President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s son and Hambantota District UNP MP Sajith Premadasa said that all extra judicial killings should be probed, irrespective of the period and who was in which government.
Ideally, extra judicial killings should be probed from the time of the April 1971 insurrection until now, whether they were committed by the SLFP, UNP, JVP, LTTE or any other party, he told The Island yesterday.
He said that the aim should be to determine the truth as to whoever was responsible and not a witch hunt. “The probes should be not only in Matale, but other places as well, and they should be transparent, moral, ethical, and conforming to the highest judicial standards and also devoid of political interference,” he said.
The JVP and the UNP traded charges earlier with the Marxist party claiming that the UNP death squads killed 50,000 of its cadres, while the UNP alleged that the JVP killed 6000 of its party members.
![]()
Saturday, 06 April 2013
![]()
Lands Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon has asked former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge not to attend his daughter’s wedding that was held at the Colombo Hilton last week, sources said.
Saturday, 06 April 2013
Lands Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon has asked former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge not to attend his daughter’s wedding that was held at the Colombo Hilton last week, sources said.A large number of governing party ministers and MPs attended the wedding. The President was also among the invitees. During the wedding, ministers have asked Janaka Bandara “Didn’t you invite the Lady Boss?”
Janaka Bandara has responded saying, “I went to her house and explained the current situation. I asked her not to come. I asked her not to get involved with fellows like Mervyn. I asked her to give priority to her security until everything is in place.”
Sources said that governing party ministers and MPs have praised Janaka Bandara for his brilliance in handling the situation.
Posted by Thavam
