Sinhala political party calls for probe into US human rights abuses

A Sinhala political party led by hard-line Buddhist monks has called for a United Nations led probe into human rights abuses committed by the United States of America.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a constituent of the ruling coalition led by President Mahinda Rajapakse, announced that it is launching a campaign to collect one million signatures to petition United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki Moon to establish a commission to inquire into human rights violations committed by the United States.

"The United States had violated the human rights of the entire world without challenge from anybody. We should expose the US," JHU Legal Advisor and Western Province Minister Udaya Gammanpila told a press conference on Thursday, September 24.

He said that plans are afoot to launch similar campaigns in South Korea, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Cambodia and other countries that also suffered due to the US policies affecting human rights, according to Island newspaper in Sri Lanka.

According to the newspaper, Gammanpila told reporters that US President Barack Obama would face the same fate of former US President Jimmy Carter.

Carter listened to the advice of William Shelly on Iran and lost his position in the first term and if Obama goes on with the allegations of former US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Robert O Blake saying that there were human rights and war related issues in Sri Lanka that needs to be investigated, he too would lose his position, the Island reported as Gammanpila saying.

According to the Island, Gammanpila also said that they were suspicious about the conduct of Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe despite losing elections a record number of times, he still remains the leader.

"Like in several parts in the world, the US comes out with human right issues and sets up a puppet regimes. Similarly, they may be planning to set up a puppet government in Sri Lanka, too, making Wickremesinghe the leader," Island quoted Gammnpila as saying.

JHU Parliamentary Group leader Ven. Athureliya Rathna Thera told reporters there are many moves by the US and some western European countries during the war against the LTTE, to discredit the government.

"This is very clear now, how these countries tried to save Vellupillai Prabhakaran," he said.