• Sri Lanka to take action if war crimes claims true AFP/File – Sri Lankan soldiers stand guard near the rebel-held area in northeast Sri Lanka at Putumathalan in May …

      by Amal Jayasinghe Amal Jayasinghe – Wed Jun 15, 3:36 am ET

      COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Wednesday denied it targeted civilians while crushing Tamil Tiger rebels but said action would be taken if war crimes allegations contained in a new British documentary were true.

      The Sri Lankan High Commission in London said images shown on Channel 4 on Tuesday night had not been verified as genuine and the disturbing footage could incite hatred among Sri Lankan communities.

      However, it added that a local panel known as the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was ready to take note of the claims and take remedial legal action.

      "If the allegations levelled by Channel 4 or any other party are found to be genuine, the LLRC will take due note of all such cases and remedial measures will be taken by way of legal sanctions," the statement said.

      There was no immediate comment from the government in Colombo on Wednesday, which is a religious holiday marking the arrival of Buddhism in the island 2,300 years ago.

      But ministers have repeatedly denied all war crimes allegations.

      The state-run Daily News repeated the defence ministry claim that Channel 4 footage was "fake" but said the government must show "rapid progress in meeting the just needs of the Tamil community".

      The newspaper also called for a political solution to address grievances of the Tamil minority, which has accused successive governments in Sri Lanka since independence from Britain in 1948 of discrimination in jobs and education.

      Sri Lanka’s ally, India, has also urged the Sinhalese-dominated government to move towards a political power-sharing arrangement with Tamils to address the root causes of the island’s ethnic conflict.

      The privately-run Island newspaper said the Channel 4 documentary was aimed at bolstering the claims of defeated Tamil Tiger rebels and reviving their separatist demands.

      "What is called for is not a probe into the unsubstantiated allegations of war crimes against Sri Lanka but a thorough investigation into the Channel 4 videos whose authenticity is in question," the pro-government Island said.

      Sri Lanka had previously insisted there would be no investigation because no war crimes had been committed by its troops while defeating the Tamil Tigers by May 2009.

      However, army chief Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya earlier this month offered to probe any "specific allegations," but rejected the Channel 4 videos as fabrications aimed at discrediting his troops.

      Sri Lanka has also refused to allow a three-member UN expert panel to visit the island nation to probe allegations that troops ordered civilians into "no-fire zones" and then shelled them.

      The panel, however, reported in April that there were "credible allegations" that Sri Lankan troops killed thousands of civilians.

      The Channel 4 documentary, "Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields", contained footage of what it said were prisoner executions.

      It also showed the bodies of female Tamil fighters who appeared to have been sexually assaulted by government forces.

      The programme also provided evidence to suggest that the Tamil Tiger fighters had also committed war crimes.

      Two UN investigators have confirmed the video as authentic, but the Sri Lankan authorities maintain it is fake.

      The 50-minute film also included footage of the aftermath of the targeted shelling of civilian hospitals.

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            Dushara 2 hours ago Report Abuse

            Well…issuing a statement is not going to save the left out human lives in Sri lanka. British government should show this in action. That is when the people can trust that they are really talking for the human beings. I am not sure where United States stands on this…..Who cares about Russia and China? They don’t know what Human Rights means.

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            philip 4 hours ago Report Abuse

            Here’s a fact: The Sri Lankan government has a perfect human rights record. How?


            Thus far, no one in Sri Lanka has been convicted of any human rights violations. And every single one of the people who have come forth with accusations have either been killed or disappeared.

            There’s simply no evidence.

            Reply


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            Shanthy 6 hours ago Report Abuse

            s there any sense in asking a murderer to try himself for his crimes? Mahinda Rajapakse, his brothers and the Sri Lankan Sinhala government including the military are responsible for ethnic cleansing – for raping thousands of women and for murdering tens of thousands of Tamils. Over 146,000 Tamils have been missing since 2009 from the North and East of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan government is responsible for their murders. They cannot, and have proved to be incapable of, try themselves for war crimes or crimes against humanity. Would such a suggestion have been made to Hitler or in other cases of genocide – Darfur, Bosnia, Bangladesh, Vietnam etc…, Only the international community and UN can bring justice to the Tamils and free us from the murderous genocidal Sri Lankan government and forces.


            The truth needs to come out. The Sri Lankan Sinhala Government is committed to slow systematic ethnic cleansing of the Tamils – they have been for a long time. Is the world going to wait and watch? In the UN going to continue to turn a blind eye? Will my race be wiped out? Are you going to let it happen? Why do we have the United Nations? – are they only there to back the powerful governments or look at the welfare of the countries where there is oil. The Tamils have no oil or money, but we have the same blood as everyone else. When the bombs rained, my people died and bled like any human being would have done. When the Sri Lankan government used chemical weapons against the Tamils, the men, women and children burnt as any human being would have done. We feel pain and sadness as everyone else. Will no one listen to what we are being subjected to? People talk about the war ending in Sri Lanka – it has not ended for the Tamils. Our nightmares are continuing and we are looking for protection, justice and a chance to lead our lives freely. The UN is refusing to protect us as Ban Ki Moon feel that it is up to the member states to make the decision – China, Russia and other countries which are well known for their atrocious Human Rights Abuses are supporting the Sri Lankan government. If these are the true colors of the United Nations, then justice is dead. The US government is being diplomatic – diplomacy is costing my kith and kin their blood. If diplomacy is about letting a race bleed to death – then, please stop the diplomacy and save us. The British government has been supportive, but we need more than words now.

            Now, it is up to the readers and the viewers, to the public to save us. I, as a British Tamil human being, am begging you to save my race. You, as a member of the public, can help to save my race – the Tamils. Please watch this film and come out and write to and speak to your MPs, UN, and the world order. One voice can be easily ignored – it is not easy to ignore millions of voices. We need the Sri Lankan government (and everyone else responsible) to be tried for war crimes – let the international courts decide the verdict. We need the Tamils to live peacefully. Many young children have been orphaned and a disproportionately large number of households are being headed by the mothers – the Sri Lankan forces are raping these young children and women. Please raise your voices and make them stop. And thank you very much for taking the time to read this. Thank you.

            Reply

          • c

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            c 18 hours ago Report Abuse

            i am concerned about the programme ‘sri lanka killing fields’. it is portrayed very biasly. It portray the tamil tigers as victims when they are a notorious terrorist group throughout the world. Sri lanka ended 30 years of terrorism, If the Sri Lankan government had not been utterly brutal in ending it then the Tamil Tigers would just have regrouped and restarted the war as they did so many times in the past. Tigers were forcing other Tamils to act as human shields, the fact that they were engaged in a murderous campaign against those Tamils who did not support their view of war til the end.Why can we never get a balanced view of this conflict here? the film seems like propoganda, seeking to demonise one side while lacking any balance whatsoever. If the killing of LTTE leader is going to be questioned then shouldn’t obama be questions on killing osama?

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          • Shanthy

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            Shanthy 7 hours ago Report Abuse

            I am a British Tamil. I have no political motives or interests. Prior to 2009, several members of my family and friends were killed by the Sri Lankan government – purely based on our ethnicity. In 2009 alone, many of my relatives were killed – and I am still searching for certain relatives and I am not sure if they are a\live or dead. Why did this happen – because we are Tamils. My grandfather, aunt, uncle, cousins and a nephew were killed in 2009 – four generations of the same family. I work as a consultant in the UK and yet, my grandfather died due to shell wounds – with the correct medical treatment, medicines and food, he could have been cured. Yet, the Sri Lankan government bombed the Tamil areas and did not allow food and medicines to enter the North East of Sri Lanka. My education, expertise and wealth could not save my family or my community. Over 140,000 Tamils went missing in 2009 – where are they?


            The truth needs to come out. The Sri Lankan Sinhala Government is committed to slow systematic ethnic cleansing of the Tamils – they have been for a long time. Is the world going to wait and watch? In the UN going to continue to turn a blind eye? Will my race be wiped out? Are you going to let it happen? Why do we have the United Nations? – are they only there to back the powerful governments or look at the welfare of the countries where there is oil. The Tamils have no oil or money, but we have the same blood as everyone else. When the bombs rained, my people died and bled like any human being would have done. When the Sri Lankan government used chemical weapons against the Tamils, the men, women and children burnt as any human being would have done. We feel pain and sadness as everyone else. Will no one listen to what we are being subjected to? People talk about the war ending in Sri Lanka – it has not ended for the Tamils. Our nightmares are continuing and we are looking for protection, justice and a chance to lead our lives freely. The UN is refusing to protect us as Ban Ki Moon feel that it is up to the member states to make the decision – China, Russia and other countries which are well known for their atrocious Human Rights Abuses are supporting the Sri Lankan government. If these are the true colors of the United Nations, then justice is dead. The US government is being diplomatic – diplomacy is costing my kith and kin their blood. If diplomacy is about letting a race bleed to death – then, please stop the diplomacy and save us. The British government has been supportive, but we need more than words now.

            The Holocaust, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur, Sri Lanka…., UN has never stopped genocide from taking place – do we really need the UN? Ban Ki Moon (head of UN) has not done anything for the Tamils – by his sheer silence, he is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Tamils. The Sri Lankan president maintains that the 2009 war was fought by his soldiers – and he claims that no bled was shed by the Tamils and his military held the UN charter in one hand whilst they were fighting. That might be true as perhaps the UN charter has a silent agreement that it is okay to kill people quietly when the presence of the media and outsiders are absent. The president’s brother, Gotabaya Rajapakse (head of the military) stated to BBC that the hospitals are a legitimate target and the places were repeatedly bombed. Yes, he must have held the UN charter as well when they mercilessly bombed the Tamils.

            Callum, thank you very much for this film. You have been courageous in showing this video and thank you very much to channel 4 for airing this. You have given the world a chance to save the Tamil race – to stop the slow and systematic genocide.

            Now, it is up to the readers and the viewers, to the public to save us. I, as a British Tamil human being, am begging you to save my race. You, as a member of the p

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            nick 20 hours ago Report Abuse

            have the British even released any documentary of the brutal slave trade? the massacre of the red Indian with fire in California, the small pox massacre of the Indians by distributing clothing infected with disease, the killing of the aborigines in new Zealand and Australian, the brutalities meted to the colonies of Ghana, Kenya(mau mau,) Zambia, Tanzanians , Zimbabwe and south Africans with apartheid?

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            Saman 6 hours ago Report Abuse


            Dear West,


            Were was human right group when prabakaran & LTTE were killing innocent pepole? And what these human rights group were doing when western countries killing pakisthan & afganistan pepole. Now we are living peaceful life in our country Sri Lanka, so Please don’t spoil our peace.