The former army commander, Sarath Fonseka, last week accused Human Rights Watch's Asia division's head, Brad Adams as violating his human rights.

Mr Fonseka was sworn in today as the regional development minister, after he was given the UNP national list seat last week.

“Human Rights Watch Asia Head is violating my human rights,” Mr Fonseka told the FT.lk in an interview last week.

"He [Adams] must make sure that he ensures the human rights of everybody. If he does not know how to respect the human rights of the Army Commander who is a Field Marshal and also a Parliamentarian as decided by the President and the Prime Minister of the country, who is he to point the finger like that and brand me as a criminal? First he has to respect my human rights so that is my simple answer to Brad Adams."

HRW criticised the Sri Lankan government's decision to appoint Mr Fonseka, who was in charge of the Sri Lankan military when widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity took place, to a position in cabinet.

Asked about whether war crimes were committed by the Sri Lankan military, Mr Fonseka said:

"The allegations have been there from the time we finished the war. But as I always said, the Army did not commit war crimes during the war or in the process of winning the war. But if they have credible evidence, then of course they have to conduct the inquiries. There may be individual cases but not by people who were doing their official job. If there is credible evidence, obviously the people responsible have to be punished. There is no question about it, whether they are in uniform or not. Nobody can go beyond the law in the country, nobody can overwrite the law. Law and order has to take place against those who have committed offenses if there is any credible evidence."

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