Abbott’s close link with Rajapaksas was ‘a mystery’- PM
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s close relationship with the Rajapaksas was ‘a mystery’ to Sri Lankans, and that Australia’s new Immigration Minister Peter Dutton would be unlikely to get the warm welcome received under the previous government.
In an exclusive interview with The Australian, the Prime Minister said the Australian government’s silence on alleged human rights abuses was the price it paid to secure co-operation from the former Rajapaksa government on stopping asylum-seeker boats.
In a weekend interview at the Prime Minister’s official Temple Trees residence in Colombo, he cfirmed the involvement of “people connected to the previous government” in people-smuggling operations.
“It was being done by people with Rajapaksa connections, but once this deal was done between Australia and the Rajapaksa government, where you looked the other way (on human rights abuses), then secretary of defence got the navy to patrol,” he told The Australian. “You could not have got anyone out of this country without someone in the security system looking the other way, the police or the navy.”
He understood people-smuggling was a major issue for Australia and his government would continue to crack down on departures.
“This should have been done anyway (by the Rajapaksa government) but they didn’t do it. They wanted to strike deals,” he said.
The Prime Minister said former Immigration Minister Scott Morrison had breached protocol by refusing to meet with then opposition Tamil National Alliance politicians when he last visited Sri Lanka and as a result his successor could receive a frosty reception from the TNA, now
a key member of the new ruling coalition. “It was a slip-up on the part of the Australian side,’’ he said. “I am not against the Australian government, but I think you must learn from your experiences. Some other countries must also that fully backed the Rajapaksa regime. When human rights were being trampled, and democracy was at bay, these countries were silent. That is an issue for Sri Lanka.”
Australia has been accused of refusing to speak out on alleged war crimes committed in the last months of Sri Lanka’s 26-year conflict civil war with the LTTE in which as many as 40,000 civilians were killed, and on subsequent allegations of human rights abuses, because it needed the Sri Lankan government’s support to stop the flow of boats. While fellow Western nations have pushed for an independent investigation through the UN Human Rights Council, Australia has said it is not its place to publicly lecture Sri Lanka on human rights.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, the 65-year-old leader of the United National Party, became Prime Minister for the third time last month after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his powerful family were voted out of government. The new administration has promised to punish those who illegally profited under the Rajapaksa regime’s “crony capitalism”.
(Daily News / Pix by TheAustralian)
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So now MR was involved in people smuggling a long with Tony Abbbot. RW is showing what a true Sri Lankan he is. All he seems to want is revenge no matter what the cost. Abbot knew the truth about war crimes that is why he did not want to get involved.He sent Julia Bishop to see for herself what was happening in The North and she did not see any truth to the allegations the boat people were making about how they are being treated in Sri Lanka.
If not for the all out offensive which I am sure killed a few innocent civilians the war would not have been over. How come no body ever talks about the innocent civilian from all walks of life and races who died from suicide bomb attacks. All we seem to hear is war crimes against the Tamils. What about war crimes against every other race inflicted by the LTTE in Sri Lanka that went on for so may years.
Making the general public focus on such stupid allegations is a way to avoid focus on them selves. Seems like this is the way this regime is going to be working while they are in power.
It is a problem for diaspora Tamils which this d***** RW is supporting, as he is hell-bent on dividing the country to grant a minority group of vociferous Tamil separatists the autonomy they wanted.
RW is a traitor to the nation and has committed treason in signing an agreement with LTTE terrorist leader VP to grant them autonomy. All traitors should be hanged.
Yes of course they did human smuggling .Gota played main part n some underworld agencies collected passengers with the main influence with nama*, paying 15 to 20 laks per a passenger n made some trillions rupees. Gotas navy officials made the route plan n time to cross the international marinetime border
.this is 100% true.they did it with the help of mahidas gov. That’s for sure.
People don’t understand still how they sucked innocent lankans money without pain like pinching a pin into a well riped banana.
For sucking the entire resource n money from the people , they have to with hold n resume on their regime, for that reason they discriminate among the cast n created racism among the religion.cheated n still cheating the innocent Sinhalese in the name of Buddhism.alll these r for mahindas family gain.but unfortunately still these innocent people don’t understand loads of things about MR Ragime.
If they dig any land ,u could see from ur naked eyes that they r about to plant a sapling ,digging for u n ur next gens grave rather.
Hi Ashik,
Many people are saying that R**** W were involved in human trafficking and not Gota. Apparently R**** was paid millions of dollars by the beneficiaries. He had some navy connections to do so and he had some links with the human traffickers.
Of course I have no evidence to support the information I have received from others just like you have no evidence to support what you are saying.
Which decorated gossip do we believe?
Ashik,
You guys are so dumb to not only listen to this bullshit but repeat. MR was the one who was trying to stop the boats with the help of Tony Abbot. It is a shame that people talk so much shit about the man who saved the country from the clutches of the Tigers. Yes he may have done all of or some the things he is accused of. Time will tell. MS has openly said that he was after Thoras & Moras not the Hal Massas and the hurullas so lets see if he will keep his word and get MR arrested or punished. I will not be surprised if MS and MR will eventually join hands and screw that stupid ,ignorant ,dumb traitor RW
What is surprising is that Mr R W has hoodwinked everyone and become PM. He has secured the top job coming in through the back door with the support of Chandrola, Indian and US regime changers. You are a disgrace RW