Gen. Weerasooriya returns after attempted LTTE inquisition in South Africa
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
One-time commander of the Sri Lankan Army, Gen. Srilal Weerasooriya has returned home from South Africa, where pro-LTTE groups campaigned against him being at the Association of Military Christian Fellowships: Global Interaction 2014. The event was held at the naval base, Simonstown
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=115691
by Shamindra Ferdinando
One-time commander of the Sri Lankan Army, Gen. Srilal Weerasooriya has returned home from South Africa, where pro-LTTE groups campaigned against him being at the Association of Military Christian Fellowships: Global Interaction 2014. The event was held at the naval base, Simonstown
Weerasooriya, formerly of the Artillery regiment was accompanied by his wife, Dilhani and Dilshan Wickremaratne, the brother of UNP MP Eran Wickremaratne. The delegation was representing the Assembly of God.
South African Tamil Federation (SATF) pressed charges against Gen. Weerasooriya with the Commissioner of the Special Unit for Foreign Crimes in South Africa over alleged violation of human rights during an early part of the conflict. The group alleged that Gen. Weerasooriya, too, had been responsible for 70,000 to 100,000 deaths of Tamils during the conflict
Global Tamil Forum (GTF) spokesman Suren Surendiran told The Island that the SATF action was in accordance with their overall strategy meant to pursue war crimes allegations against both retired and serving senior officers.
Responding to war crimes allegations, senior military and External Affairs Ministry officials said that this was all part of pro-LTTE propaganda meant to slander the military. They alleged that since conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, various groups which had been promoting separatist ideology were making disparaging statements.