Sri Lanka monks protest US move


Colombo: Several hundred Buddhist monks marched to the US embassy vowing support for President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday, asking Washington not to move a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council on alleged human rights violation during the last phase of war with LTTE.
"We request your Excellency, very cordially, not to inconvenience and embarrass us," the monks said in their communiqué addressed to US ambassador Patricia Butenis.
The peaceful protesting group was led by two prominent monks. Monks say that Sri Lankans had enjoyed peace after Rajapaksa`s action to end terrorism by defeating the LTTE and the US move in Geneva to pin the island down for alleged human rights violations would be against Sri Lanka`s national interests.

The US resolution which will be put to vote at the 47-member council is aimed at committing Sri Lanka to the recommendations of its own Lessons Learnt and ts own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

However, the government and the pro-Sinhala majority nationalist groups say the ultimate motive of the US resolution is to frame war crimes charges against President Rajapaksa and his senior military commanders.

The monks`s protest came a day after a senior minister publicly advocated a boycott of US trade brands. The Housing minister Wimal Weerawansa said he was shedding his gmail account in protest against US.

The government has been sponsoring public demonstrations in support of it ever since the sessions got underway late last month.

The West has been subject to severe criticism at government led protests for their alleged backing of the LTTE rump who are hungry for revenge from the Sri Lankan state for crushing their 30 year campaign for separation of the north and east provinces to create a Tamil homeland.



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