Speaking at a conference by the Conservative Environment Network on 19th June, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe faced damning questions over his complicity in human rights violations; growing militarisation across the North and East of Sri Lanka; and, the imposition of Buddhist viharas.
Secretary of the British Tamil Conservatives, Gajan Raj, questioned why the Sri Lankan president was invited to speak at such a conference, given the island’s dire human rights record.
He asked the former President of Mongolia and former UK Minister Vicky Ford, whether his inclusion is appropriate
“We have on the panel a war criminal who has the blood of thousands of Tamil, he is attending the IDU conference, and has not been democratically elected. He’s been elevated to the presidency, being propped up by genocidal war criminals, Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. How do you feel sharing a platform with him? Why is he on this panel? What credentials does he have?”
The Sri Lankan president faced direct questioning over the island’s dire human rights record by Tamil activist, TGTE Sockalingam Yogalingam.
The Sri Lankan president snubbed the questions raised by Yogalingam, interrupting him and stating, “if you can’t speak in English, speak in Tamil, I understand Tamil”.
Sockalingam asked:
“What is being done to stop happenings in the North, such as genocide, militarization, land grabbing, Buddhistization?,”