"No war crimes committed in last phase of war" : MR

COLOMBO (News 1st): A special statement was delivered by the opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa at his official residence at Wijerama Mawatha. He claimed that on the 10th year anniversary of the victory day that he would like to officially make an announcement that no war crimes were committed during the last phase of the war in the country. Rajapaksa continued to say that the law of armed conflict is also formulated in such a way to fight in a war and that western powers led by America were also instrumental in proceeding with this law. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa once again reiterated that there weren't any war crimes committed in the country. Also commenting on the foreign intervention during the period of the war he said that the previous government was only able to defeat the LTTE terrorism because they chose to oppose certain influencing actions by various countries. He further said that however, the Republican administration of the United States had assisted them during the war and that they were further assisted by the US to persuade the EU to name the LTTE as a terrorist organization in 2006. The opposition leader continued to say that in 2007, the then government was able to destroy the LTTE's arms smuggling ships in international waters off Australia and Indonesia after receiving information from the US. He claimed that their attitudes had somehow changed when a new President had taken over the country in February 2009 but that they had not let the international pressure affect them and ensured that the war was defeated. The former President claimed that ever since Sri Lanka had won the war that most people started to find fault from the past and prevented peace prevailing in the country and added that the assistance received from China was also an issue to certain people.