Rajiva Wijesinha

“ I have been utterly consistent in my support for minority rights and devolution, for democracy and regular elections, for an independent judiciary and a free media, and both consistent and forthright, long before many of those who now flaunt their human rights credentials, in my condemnation of authoritarianism, racial violence, tampering with democracy and intimidation of the judiciary. ”

“ I have no idea what she means if she thinks I have any personal feuds with anyone, since my deep personal affection and regard for those I know whose views on human rights in Sri Lanka differ from my own – individuals such as Jehan Perera and Rohan Edrisinha - is a matter of common knowledge. Doubtless what Ms Fernando meant characteristically to insinuate, in a manner that only denizens of Colombo High Society would understand, is that I have some sort of family feud with Ranil Wickremesinghe. ”

“ Recent events in Colombo have shown that, admirably though senior members of the UN behave, they often deal with staff who cannot be kept on pedestals. Some merely overdose on heroin, others involve themselves in local politics and try to work towards their own goals, regardless of the interests of the country they are supposed to serve, regardless of the policies of elected governments with which they are supposed to work together. Sri Lanka will not allow such individuals to hijack human rights for their own purposes. ”