The United National Party (UNP) yesterday said it would not do anything that would put Sri Lanka in difficulty while the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) sessions were being held in Geneva. No one can take the Sri Lankan President or anyone to the electric chair UNP Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya made this point at a ceremony held to commemorate the Late General Ranjan Wijeratne on his 23rd death anniversary yesterday morning.

Mr. Jayasuriya came forth with this pledge in response to the request made by the family members of the late Minister Wijeratne from the UNP, that it should support the Sri Lankan government to overcome any difficult situation in Geneva.

The UNP Leadership Council Chairman who responded to this request said his party was instrumental in bringing independence to the country from colonial rule in 1948 and therefore would not do anything to jeopardise this freedom.

“No one can take the Sri Lankan President or anyone to the electric chair, as Sri Lanka has not signed the Rome Convention in 2012 under which the international criminal court was set up,” he said.

Mr. Jayasuriya also recalled that the late Mr. Wijeratne carried out his dutics as the state Minister for defense as a planter and a statesman and not as a politician.

Rehan Wijeratne, the grandnephew of the late Minister Wijeratne earlier requested the UNP to support the government to overcome whatever challenges it would have to meet in Geneva, while his niece Barathi Wijeratne, the Chairperson of the Ranjan Wijeratne Comomoration Committee also stressed the need for a bipartition approach from the opposition and the government.

The Venerable Bellanwilla Wimalaratana Thera of the Bellanwilla Raja Maha Vihara and Venerable Galaboda Gnanissara Thera of the Gangarama Vihara delivered anusasanas and conducted religious observances at the ceremony.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka