Highlighting the Sri Lankan government's "lack of both accountability and meaningful attempts at reconciliation", Canada's foreign affairs minister, John Baird, urged Sri Lanka to take "decisive action" following the release of the LLRC report and "demonstrate the principles of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law."

In a statement published Wednesday, Baird expressed concern that, "the report does not fully address the grave accusations of serious human rights violations" and noted that "many of the allegations outlined by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka have not been adequately addressed".

"We continue to call for an independent investigation into the credible and serious allegations raised by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel that international humanitarian law and human rights were violated by both sides in the conflict," Baird urged.

Baird had raised concerns regarding accountability for war crimes, with his Sri Lankan counterpart, GL Peiris, September last year, and criticised the UN's inaction on the issue.

Wednesday's statement adds to the on-going calls from a number of Canadian MPs  and prime minister, for a credible, independent investigation into the allegations.

The statement has been reproduced in full below:

“Canada notes the public release of the report of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. Although we are still studying the report, the commission has addressed and provided recommendations in some areas of concern, including reconciliation, the rule of law and demilitarization.

“Canada strongly urges the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the commission’s recommendations and develop an implementation road map with clear timelines while also addressing the issues the report did not cover. The report’s recommendations—if implemented—can contribute to the process of political reconciliation that must now take place to address the root causes of deadly strife and division. However, to date, we have seen a lack of both accountability and meaningful attempts at reconciliation on the part of the Sri Lankan government. Decisive action is now required.

“Canada remains concerned that the report does not fully address the grave accusations of serious human rights violations that occurred toward the end of the conflict. Many of the allegations outlined by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka have not been adequately addressed by this report. We continue to call for an independent investigation into the credible and serious allegations raised by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel that international humanitarian law and human rights were violated by both sides in the conflict.

“The Government of Sri Lanka must demonstrate the principles of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”

Warning that there continued to be a "threat", Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary, speaking at a lecture on ‘Future Challenges of National Security in Sri Lanka’ on Tuesday, said,

“LTTE front organisations can encourage and facilitate ex LTTE cadres and those who escaped from the military during the war and pave way for a re-emergence.

Those who did not surrender are probably following the ideology of the LTTE. Even though 11,000 of them were rehabilitated there must be cadres who are not 100 per cent rehabilitated."

“We cannot forget everything just because we defeated them militarily. Still the threat is there. There are lots of enemies in the international front taking active steps to derail the path the government is taking to achieve economic development.”

Despite renewed calls for Sri Lanka to curtail its ever increasing militarisation of the North-East, the Defence Secretary justified the military's sweeping reach, saying,

“That is why we still maintain a strong military and that is why a considerable portion of the budget is given to the military. Still it is only two and a half years after defeating the LTTE militarily."

“To establish a camp anywhere in Sri Lanka is a decision and concern of the country as it is a sovereign state."

“Currently the front organisations of the LTTE and their supporters are taking internal problems of Sri Lanka to the international level,”

“Organisations such as Global Tamil Forum and British Tamil Forum pressurise the international community and western governments to put more pressure on Sri Lanka by all means. They want the international community to look negatively at Sri Lanka and that is how the pressure is taken on us,”

Sri Lanka recently boycotted the African National Congress' centenury celebrations due to a Tamil diaspora delegation, the GTF, being present.

“In 2011, Sri Lanka ranked fourth worst in the world in terms of allowing murders of journalists to go unpunished, according to our global Impunity Index. As we noted in our report, "President Mahinda Rajapaksa has presided over a dark era of targeted media killings and complete law-enforcement failure in addressing the crimes. All nine journalist murders in the past decade have gone unsolved, leaving persistent questions as to whether authorities have been complicit in some of the crimes."

“The result of all this mayhem is that Sri Lanka's independent media has been largely restrained, though voices still speak out on occasion. The government's attempt to rewrite the history of one of the most brutal civil conflicts in modern times has been challenged, but not yet discredited, by any independent international body of any stature.

In that context, the January 2009 murder of Lasantha Wickramatunga and the January 2010 unexplained disappearance of Prageeth Eknelygoda are only two way-points along Sri Lanka's route to abandonment of its international standing as a country with a rule of law. And, of course, a free press.”

"These conditions are unacceptable. They are an insult to every citizen of this country. We must put the EU demand in the dustbin."

"As you also know, there are rather extensive records kept on allegation cases, and then the follow up, it is as I have said on a number of occasions, including today, it is a matter for the troop-contributing countries; it’s a matter for them; it’s their sovereign responsibility.  And it is under their national legislation.  That doesn’t mean that the United Nations is not interested; and doesn’t follow up, but it does fall within the jurisdiction of national authorities."

“Despite the promises to investigate and prosecute the crimes in Sri Lanka, no information is readily available on the status of the investigation or prosecution there either.

The organizations producing this report were unable to obtain further information upon inquiry to Sri Lankan officials. Nor is there any information on the extent to which the GOH has sought information on these statuses.

The results of any investigations that might occur are certainly not made known to Haitian victims, thereby precluding possibility of reparative damages or sense of justice for these crimes.”

“Sri Lanka is already engaging in these very protectionist attitudes. But it has a very Bi-polar investment strategy. They are attracting foreign investments and protecting internal markets at the same time.”

“Jayaratne's Sri Lanka Freedom Party has never been strong in the cities. It has always been strong in the rural farming communities. So this is pandering to their rural farming base but without thinking through the consequences whatsoever.”

"The MP will still be able to afford his expensive imported croissant, but it's the ordinary Sri Lankans who will see their favourite products disappear."

Sri Lanka will refuse to share territorial waters with India, said the Fisheries Minister, Rajitha Senaratne, on Tuesday.

India had proposed such an arrangement in an attempt to avoid disputes over fishing.

Senaratne said,

“On several occasions, Sri Lankan fishermen had been arrested by the Indian coast guards. We will oppose the idea of the sharing the territorial waters by Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen.

We cannot allow any sharing because in such a case, Sri Lanka will always be placed at a disadvantageous position."

See related articles:

Sri Lankan Navy pelts Tamil fishermen with stones (06 Nov 2011)

Whose waters and whose fish? (15 Oct 2011)

"We could very easily replace these customers.”

"any arms purchases from Iran would be illegal under a UN resolution 1747 and will have serious negative consequences for US Sri Lanka relations."

“Iran has never let us down, even when many other countries in the world refused to back us. The county as a whole is very grateful for this brotherly treatment.”

"We are trying for a political solution that recognises Tamils as a nation and South Africa's help will be vital for both the TNA and the government in achieving that."

The Sri Lankan government's Media Minister and Cabinet Spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella, stated the government plans to amend the 13th Amendment, "in view of the LLRC’s recommendations, on going discussions with the TNA and establishment of the Select Committee on the National Question".

Speaking to The Island newspaper, in an interview published on Monday, his comments are the latest in a steady line of mixed messages from government spokespersons on the 13th Amendment, in the run up to the next round of talks between the government and the TNA.

India's External Affairs Minister, SM Krishna, is due to arrive on a four-day visit just before the TNA-government talks, scheduled to take place from the 17th January to the 19th January.His remarks came just after the government proclaimed that they were willing to discuss land and police powers, which came just before one a government minister, speaking on behalf of the government, vehemently refused to even discuss the issue.

See here for The Island interview in full.

Extracts are reproduced below:

Q:- The Tamil National Alliance wants land and police powers to be implemented in terms of the 13th Amendment. Is the government agreeable?

A:- We have serious concerns about granting land and police powers in toto.

Q:- In other words it cannot be given?

A:-Not necessarily. What I mean is that a compromise can be reached on the extent of land and police powers that could be devolved. It is something that can be discussed. The 13th Amendment grants blanket powers over land and the police. So we need to talk. Powers in certain areas can be granted to the provinces.

Q:- Like community police powers, etc?

 A:-Quite so. If the Tamil National Alliance is genuine, will they want the Chief Ministers of the North and East to possess powers that grant them the right to prevent the Head of State from visiting those provinces. Will the Tamils accept such a situation?

Q:- The TNA says 13th Amendment in toto and nothing less and India is backing them. What has the government got to say?

A:-Fine, but we are open to discussions. India understands Sri Lanka better than anyone else and there is an ongoing  dialogue with them.

The head of the Sri Lankan government's delegation, Nimal Siripala de Silva, recently refuted claims that Sri Lanka was under pressure from India regarding the talks. 

Concluding that Sri Lanka's cricket team were in "crisis", the Sports Minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage criticised the "politics" that he claimed had beset the team.

He vowed to give the players a "stern lecture" on their return home, when speaking to reporters in Colombo, following the team's poor performance in South Africa.

Aluthgamage said,

"The Sri Lanka cricket team is in a crisis situation. It is very unfortunate,"

"The team is not clicking together off-field and it has shown in the results on the field."

"Once the team returns, I plan to meet them,"

"I feel there is a lot of internal politics within the team that is spilling over to the cricket pitch."

“Like any other country, we have, like couple of cases.”

 “When it comes, the police or whoever will take action against that… normally.”

“So what exactly is the Ambassador saying? There is no abuse, but there is some abuse, and when there is some abuse, the Police deals with it… normally.”