Former Ambassador and political scientist Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka said that while UNHRC Chief Prince Zeid is playing the role of the ‘bad cop’ with regard to Sri Lanka, the US is playing the role of the ‘good cop.’

In a special interview with veteran journalist Michael Gregson, Jayatilleka said that while Zeid is urging a hybrid court, the US is apparently coming to the rescue saying a domestic mechanism with international component. Jayatilleka added that this is an old known tactic of the US. However, the Sri Lankan government seems to be going along with this, he argued. Sri Lanka's support for the US proposal will prevent countries which are against such a systems from taking any step against it, Jayatilleka also said.

Commenting on the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) report, Jayatilleka said that the government should have rejected it for suggesting a hybrid court. He argued that Sri Lanka has been singled out, as shown by some of the comments made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Sri Lanka has a proud and robust tradition of jurisprudence and the country has produced eminent figures in law. Meanwhile, several former soldiers have been given death sentence for crimes committed during the war. Therefore, the country has the capability of investigating the matter on its own, Jayatilleka added.

He also maintained that every society takes its time to investigate past events. In Spain, certain matters relating to the Civil War cannot be investigated even now, he added. Bangladesh is probing the 1971 War of Independence only now. Certain Latin American countries took its time to investigate their ‘dirty wars.’ Even the UK is reluctant to probe events in Northern Ireland since it will harm reconciliation there. All governments should reserve its sovereign right to investigate past events, Jayatilleka said.