Anti-Lanka elements abroad want regime change: Army chief

Anti-Sri Lankan forces abroad, backed by LTTE remnants, are plotting for a regime change in the country by moving a resolution against it at the UNHRC session this month, Commander of the Sri Lankan army has alleged.
"Anti-Sri Lanka elements, backed by LTTE rump and the diaspora are in the habit of tarnishing the country's image, preferably, ahead of UN Human Rights Council sessions every year while making baseless allegations against the Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya said yesterday.
"These elements will continue to do so in the future, too as they have been doing in the past few years with ulterior motives", he said, while addressing the troops at the Security Force Headquarters in the former LTTE stronghold of Kilinochchi in the north.

Jayasuriya accused the anti-Sri Lankan forces overseas for aiming to dislodge President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his powerful defence secretary brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
"It appears that they have a different agenda for a change of regime, particularly with the objective of ridding the President and the Secretary Defence who have often been the tower of strength behind the security forces", he said.
Jayasuriya also dismissed as "doctored", pictures of the alleged cold-blooded killing of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran's 12-year-old son aired by British Channel 4.

Sri Lanka has described it as "part of a cynical, concerted and orchestrated campaign" to influence the debate in the council about his country.

"Just a few days ago, the President (Mahinda Rajapaksa) categorically denied the Army having killed Prabakaran's son as alleged and widely publicised in the international media with doctored images", Jayasuriya said.
Jayasuriya ,who took over the mantle of the Army's leadership from the war-winning General Sarath Fonseka, told the troops that they need to be aware of the international challenges faced by the government.
Referring to accusations of violations of humanitarian law by the troops, Jayasuriya said that President Rajapaksa has been emphatic that he would stand by the Army in the face of attempts to frame war crimes charges, while dismissing allegations that the Army had used rape as a weapon.

"We have never heard of anyone being raped. No one has complained, if there were complaints Army would surely have investigated", he said.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch last week alleged that Sri Lankan troops have been using rape and other forms of sexual violence to torture suspected members or supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Sri Lanka is set to face its second UNHRC resolution later this month in Geneva which is expected to further bind the government into implementing reconciliation and accountability moves as proposed in the government's own reconciliation Commission.