The aim of the controversial media statement issued by UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya was to coincide with a report due to be released by a panel appointed by the UN Secretary General to investigate alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka, Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha told Parliament yesterday.
Making a special statement, Minister Susil Premajayantha said that the headline given to statement made by the UNP MP had correctly summarised its content. `When we go through the contents of the statement, we realise that the headline was in accordance with the body of the story. This appeared on Sunday. But MP Jayasuriya commenced the process of sending clarifications on Tuesday evening and that, too, was after the government had condemned it. By that time this statement had been already read by foreigners and the members of the diplomatic corps.
By the time MP Jayasuriya made clarification, the damage to the national interests had been done. `The gravity of the issue was realised by MP Jayasuriya only after we accused him of working against the motherland,` he said.
Minister Premajayantha added that when the clarification sent to The Island by MP Jayasuriya appeared in yesterday s issue, another story of the forthcoming report of the panel appointed by UN Secretary General to probe war crimes in Sri Lanka appeared on page 3. `Now, we can see the connection and the hidden aim of issuing this statement. That was for it to coincide with the UN report,` the Minister said.
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