Amnesty International criticised the decision to allow the army to police the demonstrations at Weliweriya and has said hat the army should not be allowed to investigate itself.
Amnesty International’s Asia Director, Polly Truscott said:
“The Sri Lankan army should have never been policing unarmed demonstrators in the first place, and having them investigate their own alleged abuses is simply ridiculous,”
“Sri Lankan authorities must urgently initiate an effective investigation into this tragic incident. The investigation must be independent, impartial and conducted with the professionalism, resources and powers necessary to unearth the truth about this incident. The army cannot be seen to investigate itself. Anything less will send the message that using excessive force against protesters is permitted.”