Paranagama report far worse than UN report – Rajitha

The government today said that the resolution adopted at the UN Human Rights Council on Sri Lanka would have been much more severe if the Paranagama report had been released before the session in Geneva.  

The Paranagama report has clearly acknowledged that the judicial system in the country is weak, Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told reporters in Colombo. 

The Paranagama commission was appointed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to probe complaints regarding missing persons in the Northern and Eastern Provinces from June 10, 1990 to May 19, 2009.

The report was handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena by its Chairman Maxwell Paranagama, a retired High Court judge, last month while it was presented to Parliament along with the UN resolution and the Udalagama commission report on Tuesday (20). 

Paranagama’s Commission report mainly deals with issues related to violation of the International Humanitarian Law or War Crimes allegedly committed by both parties and the recommendations to prevent a repetition.

“If you read the Paranagama report, the situation is far worse than the UN report. I don’t know for what stupidity they asked for it,” Dr. Senaratne said in response to a question. 

He stated that if the Paranagama report had been presented before the UNHRC session, the UN resolution would have been more severe than the one adopted. 

He said that the Pranagama report clearly states that investigations should be launched into the ‘white flag’ case, the Channel 4 video and the deaths of Charles Anthony, a senior leader of the LTTE also known as Lt. Colonel Seelan, and Isaipriya, a Tamil journalist and television broadcaster for the LTTE.

“The Paranagama report calls for immediate investigations into these incidents. The UN report has not named such incidents,” the Minister of Health said.