By Methmalie Dissanayake Courtesy Ceylon Today

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Assignments Tilak Marapana yesterday (25) said that the Government would use Lord Naseby’s statement, regarding the final phase of Sri Lanka’s war against the LTTE, in an appropriate forum.

Marapana made this remark prior to the debate on Heads of Expenditure of Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Responding to a question raised by the Joint Opposition (JO) MPs Dinesh Gunawardena and Bandula Gunawardena, the Minister said, “We are not saying that we would not use Lord Naseby’s statement. We will certainly use it at the proper time and appropriate forums. There may be a time, when the UNHRC asks us to conduct investigations into the war crime allegations. We will use this statement when a time as such is raised. Otherwise, our opponents will find counter arguments for this valuable statement. We must use it as an Ace.”

Gunawardena charged at the Government saying that the Foreign Ministry does not use the statement of Lord Naseby, which categorically proved that Sri Lankan troops did not kill 40,000 civilians in the Northern Province during the final phase of the war. “Although Lord Naseby proved that reports used by the UNHRC are erroneous, the Government’s representatives like Dr. Harsha de Silva had made a different statement at Geneva recently,” Gunawardena alleged.

Replying to this, Marapana said he did not agree with Gunawardena’s allegations.

He said, “Dr. Harsha de Silva did not do such thing. We are mindful of Lord Naseby’s statement and we really appreciate his efforts. He has put in lots of research work for it. The forum in Geneva, which Dr. Harsha de Silva attended, was not an appropriate stage to take it up.”

Moreover, Marapana said that the government has invited Lord Naseby to visit Sri Lanka at any time.