Sri Lanka government minister urges to boycott American products...

A Sri Lankan government Minister today urged the public to boycott American products to show opposition against a United States sponsored Council in Geneva.

resolution on Sri Lanka at the current session of the United Nations Human Rights

Addressing a public rally in Hyde Park Grounds in Colombo Tuesday, the Housing & Common Amenities Minister and the leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa asked the public to boycott American brands such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonalds and Google's email service Gmail.

"We should boycott American products in order to show them the strength of our nation, they will feel the effects of our actions," he has said.

He has added that he will stop using his Gmail account from today.

Today's public rally was organized by the National Freedom Front to protest against the anti-Lanka resolution under the patronage of the Minister Weerawansa.

Addressing the rally, party committee member Piyasiri Wijenayake has said that the Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) acts to obtain financial benefits while the major opposition United National Party (UNP) is acting as spies of Western counties.

The resolution, according to the United States, is brought to press Sri Lankan government to promptly implement the recommendations made by the domestic panel, Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), and address the accountability for the war crimes allegedly occurred during the final phase of the battle with the Tamil Tiger terrorists.

"Our goal here is to get the countries of the world to join in encouraging the Government of Sri Lanka to take steps needed to ensure meaningful and lasting national reconciliation after this - their long conflict," US State Department Spokesperson Mark Toner said Monday.

"This is something we've been asking the Government of Sri Lanka and through its Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission to address for some time. So it remains a serious concern," He noted.

Sri Lanka, however, says the government is taking measures to implement the LLRC recommendations methodically and it needs time and space to work towards reconciliation without interference from the international community.