Colombo (AsiaNews) - The "day of independence has turned out to be a day that reminds people of their fears and helplessness, rather than a day that they could celebrate with pride and hope," said the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in its message on the 66th anniversary of Sri Lanka's independence, celebrated yesterday across the island nation.
In harsh words, the human rights watchdog slammed the Sri Lankan government for "the vast numbers of crimes" that it has failed "to investigate or prosecute".
For his, President Mahinda Rajapaksa attended official celebrations in Kegalle.
In his address to the nation, he warned Sri Lankans that "foreign forces" have sinister designs in order "to use them as human shields".
However, for the AHRC, the situation is so serious that increasingly Sri Lankans blame the state for such crimes.