UPFA MP and National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa was prevented from leaving the country from the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport this morning.

He arrived at the airport to board a flight for Rome, Italy. He was to visit Europe for a lecture series.

Wimal Weerawansa told media that he was stopped and questioned by the CID at the airport.

Meanwhile, UPFA MP Dinesh Gunawardena informed the Parliament of the incident, reports said.

Sri Lanka's opposition on Thursday called for a referendum on a hybrid court proposed for Sri Lanka by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

Al Hussein had called for a hybrid court with local and foreign judges to look into accountability issues over the final stages of a 30 year war between Tamil Tiger rebels and the military.

Opposition Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa said that the government cannot blindly agree to set up the hybrid court.

He said that since the government was elected by the public, the public should be allowed to decide if they want such a hybrid court to look into accountability issues.

Weerawansa was speaking in parliament during a debate on the report as well as two other human rights reports.

He also accused the government of submitting to international pressure on the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), a controversial anti-terror law.

He said that the government must not abolish the PTA but make suitable amendments if required.

Weerawansa also said that Sri Lanka is not legally bound to implement the resolution on the country adopted by the UN Human Rights Council earlier this month.

The Illangai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), a minority Tamil political party, however commended the government for cosponsoring the resolution and urged the government to fully implement it.

ITAK Parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah said that the resolution does not mention a hybrid court but a judicial system with international assistance.

Senathirajah also warned that if people push Sri Lanka to be a "Sinhalese, Buddhist" country it will eventually lead to Tamils pushing for a separate state.

(Xinhua)

National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa stated that the government has broken its promises to the voters who elected it, while carrying out the promises made to external forces.

Speaking at the United Opposition's Rally against the 'Hybrid Court', Weerawansa said the government is fulfilling promises made to the US, India and the LTTE diaspora.

He added that the recently approved UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka is a systematic plan to take revenge from former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the army officers who fought the war against the LTTE.

According to the resolution, the Prevention of Terrorism Act will be repealed so that the LTTE prisoners could be released. Witness protection laws will be liberalized so that the witnesses could not be cross-examined, making it possible for ex-LTTE elements to give evidence against the armed forces personnel, Weerawansa argued.

The government's plan is to prepare prisons for those who fought the war and to release those who fought to divide the country, Weerawansa also claimed.

National Freedom Front leader and UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa slammed the government's plans to release ex-LTTE suspects in the guise of releasing political prisoners.

Releasing a statement yesterday, Weerawansa said that the government plans to release these former LTTE hardcore elements so that they could become witnesses in a 'hybrid court' set up in the country to investigate allegations of war crimes.

Accordingly, the public should be made aware of the threat posed by the latest move, he added.

National Freedom Front leader and UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa alleged that the Sri Lankan government is planning to legalize homosexuality, following the instructions of 'its Western overlords'.

Speaking at a recent press conference, Weerawansa said that the USAID had organized a conference recently to urge the government to legalize homosexuality.

Weerawansa also said that he was not questioning the private preferences on individuals, and said that he was questioning only the attempts to change laws according to the 'diktats' of the West. He asked if Sri Lankan laws should be changed according to the wishes of the USAID.

There is a systematic programme to weaken the country and make it a servant of the Western powers, Weerawansa also alleged.

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa today challenged the government to prove that the unanimously adopted UNHRC resolution did not propose a hybrid court as claimed by the government.

Even though the word ‘hybrid’ has been removed, the mechanism proposed remains the same, Weerawansa argued. He further stated that the participation of foreign experts including investigators and judges has clearly been mentioned in the resolution.

Weerawansa maintained that it is better to describe it as a foreign judiciary than to say a domestic mechanism.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe should apologize to the people for telling lies, Weerawansa also demanded.

UPFA Parliamentarian and National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa today urged the government to hold a referendum on the US-backed resolution at UNHRC.

Speaking at a press conference today, he said that Sri Lankans should have the liberty to decide if they want any foreign involvement in solving internal issues.

Weerawansa said that the proposed 'domestic inquiry' will involve foreign judges and other officials. If the people give a mandate for it then the government can go ahead with it, he said.

The NFF leader also said that he will urge the people to oppose such a mechanism.

Several leaders of parties within the UPFA attended this press conference.

UPFA Parliamentarian and National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa said that he has requested a parliamentary debate on the recently released OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) report.

The UNHRC Chief Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussain released the report on September 16. While it has been praised in many quarters, strong opposition to the report is being shown by some opposition politicians and other prominent figures in the country.

Weerawansa said that he has already made a request for a debate from the Speaker.

National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa slammed the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) report released yesterday, saying that it had targeted only one side.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Weerawansa pointed out that even though the report accuses both the government and the LTTE, most of the LTTE members are not alive by now. Therefore, the report is one sided, he said.

He also rejected the notion that the report has suggested a hybrid tribunal. In reality, this will amount to the opening of a branch of UNHRC in Sri Lanka, Weerawansa said.

UPFA MP Padma Udayashantha Gunasekara said that he will not bow down to the Prime Minister's attempts at shutting down opposition voices in Parliament.

Gunasekara, a new MP elected from Moneragala District, was involved in an heated incident in Parliament involving the Prime Minister and the National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa among others. Gunasekara is also a member of the NFF led by Weerawansa.

Speaking to Asian Mirror yesterday, Gunasekara said that the Prime Minister's conduct in Parliament on Thursday was inappropriate. No Prime Minister ever asked a Member of the House to leave in that manner, Gunasekara said.

He also said that the Prime Minister was acting in an authoritarian manner despite his claims of good governance.

Gunasekara also said that the government was fulfilling its federalist agenda. Giving the TNA the Opposition Leader position was one indication of what is to come ahead, he claimed.

Furthermore, Gunasekara said that he will mobilize the people against the government's federalist agenda.