Sri Lankan Prime Minister and war criminal, Mahinda Rajapaksa appealed for a moratorium on debt from international lenders during a meeting with the United Nations and UNICEF.
During this meeting, Rajapaksa was reported to have discussed strengthening Sri Lanka’s social security system to reduce the economic impact of the on the most vulnerable communities including those differently abled, the elderly, and children. Rajapaksa claimed that the Government of Sri Lanka has always prioritised the rights and needs of children.
This follows international criticism of UNICEF for collaborating with Rajapaksa to produce a video for children on the coronavirus.
Rajapaksa was Sri Lanka’s president 11 years ago, when the military launched a massive offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamil civilians. Thousands of children were among the dead.
Amongst the crimes that took place under Rajapaksa’s tenure were the countless forcible disappearances of Tamil children, many of whom were last seen in Sri Lankan military custody with their parents.
The Colombo Page reports that the UN and UNICEF commended Sri Lanka’s efforts to control the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. This statement comes despite growing concern over Sri Lanka’s militarised response to the coronavirus from groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
Read more from the Colombo Page.
