Opinion by Meenakshi Ganguly: Sri Lanka’s former president must be investigated for war crimes
From 2005 to 2015, Rajapaksa’s brother Mahinda was president and Rajapaksa was defense secretary, known to family and foes alike as “the Terminator.” They came to power during a four-year cease-fire in the long civil war between the government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that began in 1983.that began in 2008 led eventually to the LTTE’s defeat in May 2009.
As defense secretary, Rajapaksa was in command of Sri Lankan security forces throughout this period. Even after the fighting, thousands of young Tamil men who were suspected LTTE fighters or supporters, as well as journalists, activists and others deemed political opponents, were abducted. Many have never been heard from again.found that both sides committed wartime atrocities and concluded that “for accountability to be achieved in Sri Lanka, it will require more than a domestic mechanism.
After rising to the presidency, Rajapaksa pursued policies hostile to ethnic and religious minorities, and repressed those seeking justice for abuses committed during the civil war. He used “counterterrorism” as a pretext
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