Rajapaksa warns Sri Lanka will withdraw from any int'l forum if 'war heroes' are targeted

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday warned that Sri Lanka will t hesitate to withdraw from any international forum if country's "war heroes" were targeted or harassed as he dressed 11th anniversary of end of over three-dece long civil war against LTTE.

Tamil separatist group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which led an armed rebellion for over three deces against Sri Lankan government to set up a separate Tamil homeland in rrn and eastern province of island nation was defeated by Sri Lankan Army on May 19, 2009.

"Our troops were up against world's most feared terrorist group who paid respect to law. Even world's most powerful countries have told that y would t subject ir troops to be harassed by anyone," said Rajapaksa, who spearheed military campaign n as top defence ministry bureaucrat.

"As such, in a small country like ours where our war heroes have sacrificed so much, I will t allow anyone or organisation to put pressure on m and harass m. We will t hesitate to withdraw from any organisation or ncy if our war heroes are targeted," Rajapaksa said at War Heroe's Day, marking 11th anniversary of military victory over LTTE.

Sri Lankan troops under president's bror Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency faced war crimes allegations for ir conduct in final phase of bloody armed campaign which ended on May 19, 2009.

UN rights body has passed three successive resolutions since 2013 calling for war crimes investigations on both government troops and LTTE.

previous Mahinda Rajapaksa government refused to cooperate with UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) mechanism to probe war crimes allegations against troops. With his defeat in 2015 election, his successor Maithripala Sirisena's government agreed to cooperate with UNHRC and even co-sponsored last resolution in September 2015.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was highly critical of Sirisena government's co-sponsoring of resolution, and h vowed to withdraw from UNHRC resolutions in run up to presidential election held in vember, which culminated in his landslide victory. formal end to bloody separatist war was signalled on May 19, 2009 with discovery of body of feared LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakaran.

Sri Lanka's human rights record, particularly over impunity enjoyed by law enforcement officers, has been subject of international condemnation. UN Human Rights Council has called for an international probe into alleged war crimes during military conflict with LTTE.

According to government figures, around 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts, including war with Lankan Tamils which claimed at least 100,000 lives.Lanka's human rights record, particularly over impunity enjoyed by law enforcement officers, has been subject of international condemnation.