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Thursday, February 18, 2010 - 05.38 GMT |
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No foreign
country should interfere with SL legal
process – Liam Fox |
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The
British
Shadow
Defence
Secretary
and the
Conservative
Party
parliamentarian,
Dr. Liam
Fox said
that no
foreign
country
or
foreign
body
should
interfere
in the
legal
process
of
another
country
and
influence
the
enforcement
of the
law.
The
British
MP
addressing
a joint
press
briefing
with
Foreign
Minister
Rohitha
Bogollagama
at the
Ministry
of
Foreign
Affairs
yesterday
(17 Feb)
said
that all
are
equal in
the face
of the
law and
no
country
has the
right to
pass
judgment
on the
actions
of Sri
Lanka.
"It is
not for
an
outside
country
or body
to say
who
should
or
should
not be
prosecuted.
But how
trails
are
conducted
will
determine
how the
country
is
perceived
abroad.
The law
must not
only be
applied
fairly
but it
must be
seen to
be
applied
fairly,"
the
British
MP said.
Dr. Fox
who is
on a
private
visit to
Sri
Lanka
said the
great
victory
President
Rajapaksa
received
at the
recently
concluded
Presidential
election
is
overshadowed
by the
present
situation
in the
country.
Referring
to the
arrest
of
General
(retd.)
Sarath
Fonseka,
Dr. Fox
suggested
that
Fonseka
should
be tried
in a
civil
court
where
the
charges
against
him can
be
tested
through
all the
vigor
that the
law can
muster.
Foreign
Minister
Rohitha
Bogollagama
said the
legal
proceedings
regarding
the
former
Army
Commander
are
taking
place in
an
independent
atmosphere.
"The
judiciary
in Sri
Lanka is
fiercely
independent
and the
law will
take its
course.
He is
being
tried
under
the
Military
law
which
was
formulated
according
to the
British
law and
will be
given
just
treatment
in a
civil
court or
military
tribunal,"
the
Foreign
Minister
said.
Meanwhile,
Minister
Bogollagama
expressed
his
confidence
in
Britain
extending
its
support
to Sri
Lanka in
obtaining
the
favor of
the
European
community
to gain
the GSP+
concession.
"We are
confident
of the
strength
of
bilateral
relations
between
Sri
Lanka
and
Britain
and we
can
count on
the
support
of the
polity
of
Britain
in our
agenda
to
obtain
GSP+,"
the
Foreign
Minister
said.
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