President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that a section of the international community is plotting against his regime to set up a puppet government in the country. He has made this remark addressing a group of Sri Lankan expatriates in Rome, presidential media unit said.

Rajapaksa has thanked the Sri Lankan expats for holding pro-Sri Lanka demonstrations in Geneva, the seat of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Rajapaksa said those who are conspiring against his regime want to set up a puppet government in Colombo.

Sri Lankan President has been critical of the US and the West for taking the side of the pro-LTTE diaspora. He views US moved and the UK backed action against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC as moves to appease the Tamil diaspora for electoral gains.

Rajapaksa's government has defied calls to cooperate with the UN investigation into alleged war crimes committed by both the government troops and the LTTE during the last phase of the civil war in 2009.

The president is currently on an official tour of Italy and The Vatican. Earlier he met with Pope Francis to invite him to visit Sri Lanka.