Sri Lanka says judiciary must be strong to avoid international war crimes probe

Sri Lanka's new government said on Tuesday that the county's judiciary must be strong in order to convince the international community that Sri Lanka is capable of dealing with human rights concerns on its own through domestic mechanisms.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that the government needed to convince the world that the island's judiciary is competent, independent and impartial which can rank among the best anywhere in the world. "An international inquiry, initiated last year, is now currently nearing completion. The results of this inquiry could lead to Sri Lankan armed forces and other civilians appearing before an international tribunal, unless tangible steps are swiftly taken to restore judicial credibility,"Minister Samaraweera said in a statement. "It is the previous administration's failure to set-up credible domestic mechanisms that has led to our current difficulties. It is the current government's position that the most effective way of beginning the process of healing between communities and preventing international prosecution, which many feel would be a violation of sovereignty, would be to institute a credible domestic mechanism as soon as possible," he said.

The minister further said the challenge today is to ensure that Sri Lanka is able to effectively enjoy the rights, privileges and benefits of re-entering the community of civilized nations and ensure that Sri Lanka, as a country, does not suffer economic sanctions, ill-dignity and a tarnished reputation.

The foreign minister also defended the removal of the country' s controversial Chief Justice Mohan Peiris saying Peiris had acted in complete violation of the international standards of judicial conduct and therefore could not be expected to command the respect and confidence of the international community. Endi