Authorities in Sri Lanka have taken serious note of videos being circulated on social and web-based media of an alleged incident involving the Minister Counsellor (Defence) Brigadier Fernando attached to the Sri Lanka High Commission in London behaving in an offensive manner.
In this connection, instructions have been sent to Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in London today, 6 February 2018, to suspend the Minister Counsellor (Defence) Brigadier Fernando from work, with immediate effect. Authorities in Sri Lanka including the Sri Lanka Army will initiate inquiries on the incident immediately. (Press release issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
In the past Sri Lankan soldier, who had attacked visiting Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi with a rifle butt in 1987 and said ”I intended to kill Rajiv Ganthy”. He was sentenced to six years in prison, however President Premadasa gave him a presidential pardon after two and a half years. Given how the Sri Lankan state dealt with other cases this man will be promoted to general (1/2, 3/4, full) shortly.
It is claimed by some that if Mahinda Rajapaksha was in power this Army officer would have been promoted to serve in the UN head Office like Shavendra Silva. Remember Vidhanapathirana who murdered British Shiek Kurram, who continued as the Chairman of the Pradeshiya Saba, until British government pressed for charges for the conviction?
British Parliamentarians Joan Ryan and Siobhain McDonagh had called on the British Foreign Secretary to “withdraw Brigadier Priyanka Fernando’s diplomatic papers and expel him” from the UK, after he was filmed making ‘throat-cutting gestures’ to Tamils protesting outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London, on Sunday 4 February.
“His actions were clearly an attempt to intimidate and silence peaceful protests opposed to the on-going persecution of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Given the Sri Lankan military’s long history of committing human rights violations and alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity on Tamils, the Defence Attaché’s threats must be taken seriously by the UK Government,” Kandiah said.
Kandiah said he supported calls from Joan Ryan MP and Siobhain McDonagh MP saying that the Foreign Secretary must expel Brigadier Fernando from the UK without delay.
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