Sarath Weerasekera Seeks No Meeting With UNHRC Chief: Comes Back After Raucous At Side Event

Former Parliamentarian Rear Admiral (Retd) Sarath Weerasekera or any of his representatives has not sought any meeting with the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner's Office, multiple sources from Geneva confirmed. 

 
Although a section of local media reported that Weerasekera will present a special report to the UN Human Rights Commissioner, a spokesperson from the UNHRC Chief's office said no one requested a meeting with the High Commissioner. 
 
Addressing a UNHRC side event in Geneva, the former UPFA Parliamentarian urged the United Nations General Assembly to appoint a Special Rapporteur into the alleged war crimes committed by the LTTE during the Eelam war. 
 
Weerasekera spoke at a side event titled 'Truth and Justice' organised by the International Buddhist Relief Organization (IBRO), a non-governmental organization with UN accreditation. 
 
"Weerasekera's request internationalizes Sri Lanka's issue. It is a 180 degree turn from the government's stance which suggests a Sri Lanka-led process for reconciliation and accountability. Weerasekera clearly calls for a foreign intervention," a government spokesman said, on Tuesday. 
 
Speaking at the side event, Weerasekera said the Sri Lankan armed forces did not commit any war crimes during the final phase of Eelam war. This statement was challenged by a representative from the TGTE who said over 300000 Tamils were killed during the government's military operation. The representative urged the Swiss government to arrest Weerasekera stating the latter was responsible for the matter.