The government would grant visas to the members of the Panel only to go before the government appointed LLRC and not to conduct any investigations on their own, Minister Rambukwella said addressing the weekly media briefing yesterday.

He said Sri Lanka expressed its opposition to this panel when it was appointed as it was mandated to investigate about activities in Sri Lanka during the last stages of the war and since as an investigation violates the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. There is no change in this stand of the government. However, the government has decided to grant visas to the Panel since it has been stated that the members only wished to meet the LLRC.

It was due to the infringement of the sovereignty of Sri Lanka that the panel was denied visas at that time they wanted to visit the country and conduct investigations, Minister said.

However, the circumstances are different now and they have expressed willingness to visit Sri Lanka and submit evidence before the legally constituted Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and it is only on that basis of giving evidence before the LLRC that the government has consented to their visit, he said.

Minister Rambukwella has said the government welcomes anyone who wishes to give evidence at the LLRC including the Tamil Diaspora and acceptance or rejection of such evidence is a matter solely under the purview of the Commission.

He said that it aws sad to note some people attempting to make political mileage and mislead the masses without properly understanding the meaning between “allowing to investigate the activities of a legally constituted government and a sovereign nation” and “willingness to give evidence before a legally established Commission”