Not afraid of ‘traitor’ brand - Hirunika

The daughter of murdered Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra says that she is not afraid of being branded as a traitor in Sri Lanka if the family is forced to seek international justice.

Hirunika Premachandra said her family will have no other option but to seek international justice if the country fails to find justice for the killing of the presidential advisor.

It has been the practise of the Sri Lankan government, for which Mr Premachandra also worked, to brand dissidents –especially who sought international justice – as traitors of the country.

“I am not afraid of traitor label as I love my country more than those who would call me a traitor,” Ms Premachandra told BBC Sandeshaya from an undisclosed location outside Sri Lanka.

Mr Premachandra was shot dead last month in a shoot out between the supporters of the rival factions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition.

Appeal to president

“What other option do we have if there is no law and order in Sri Lanka ?”

A court in Colombo recently issued a warrant for the arrest of Duminda Silva, the monitoring MP for the defence ministry who was seriously wounded in the shooting.

Ms Premachandra who said the ruling had restored her faith in the judiciary, appealed to the president not to allow the murder investigation to be undermined.

 “This is not a threat but an appeal to the president. If this is undermined Sri Lanka will be known in international community as a country where there is no law and order,” she told BBC Sinhala service.