Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa has accused the government of betraying Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, claiming it secretly agreed with Geneva to divide the country constitutionally and punish military heroes under fabricated war crimes charges.
National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa has unleashed a scathing attack on the government, accusing it of betraying Sri Lanka at the Geneva Human Rights Commission. Speaking at a media briefing in Battaramulla, Weerawansa alleged that the current administration has promised the Commission to constitutionally divide the country and has paved the way for military officers to be punished based on fabricated evidence of war crimes.
Weerawansa pointed out that unlike in 2022 and 2024, when previous governments either outright rejected or opposed Geneva resolutions, the current regime allowed the latest resolution to pass without opposition or calling for a vote. This silence, he claimed, effectively meant Sri Lanka stood in agreement with the resolution, weakening the country’s position on sovereignty and accountability.
He explained that the new resolution incorporates elements from both Resolution 57/1 of 2022, which was rejected, and Resolution 51/1 of 2024, which was opposed. Instead of defending Sri Lanka’s interests, the government representatives in Geneva have reportedly agreed to establish a truth-seeking commission, an independent investigative office, and to revive the inactive Office of Missing Persons.
According to Weerawansa, the government’s stance that it “rejects” international investigations but agrees to local ones is a deceptive maneuver. By refusing to oppose the resolution, he argued, Sri Lanka has essentially allowed it to be accepted unanimously. He accused the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka in Geneva of promising to carry out investigations domestically, using a mix of government officials, NGOs, and international pressure groups.
Weerawansa warned that this approach arms those seeking to target the Sri Lankan military. He claimed that the government has effectively told international actors: “You give us your loaded firearm, and we will shoot our own soldiers with it.” He emphasized that this agreement opens the door for false accusations, manipulated investigations, and fabricated trials designed to portray Sri Lanka’s war heroes as perpetrators of war crimes.
The former Minister highlighted that this was not merely a diplomatic misstep but a dangerous betrayal. He alleged that the government has agreed to prove human rights allegations, crimes against humanity, and war crimes against the armed forces by establishing independent commissions that will collect charges, file cases, and deliver verdicts against security officers who defended the nation.
Weerawansa’s remarks come at a time when national debate is intensifying over Geneva’s role in Sri Lanka’s post-war accountability process. His accusations raise fears that the government’s compliance could pave the way for constitutional reforms leading to a divided nation and demoralization of the armed forces who fought to end decades of terrorism.
He concluded by warning that Sri Lanka is on the brink of a dangerous path, one where international resolutions are being internalized to weaken national sovereignty and sacrifice the very soldiers who protected the country from collapse.
