Sri Lanka dismisses war crimes charges

The Sri Lankan government has issued furious denials against allegations of war crimes committed by their forces during the final phase of the war last year.

After a week which saw various reports released by multiple sources with evidence of war crimes against security forces and individuals further up the command structure, senior representatives of the Sri Lankan government have denied any wrong doing.

The testimony by two members of the Sri Lankan forces, broadcast by Britain’s Channel 4, in which they claimed that civilians and surrendering LTTE fighters and their families were tortured and killed, were dismissed as “fabricated” by Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

“They [Channel 4] have once again brought up this sordid story just when a Sri Lankan delegation is to attend crucial trade talks in Brussels with the European Union. I categorically deny these allegations of war atrocities said to have been committed by our armed forces,” he said.

Rambukwella stated that legal action would be filed against Channel 4.

Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the UN, Palitha Kohona had agreed to appear on the Channel 4 news program, but despite repeated, desperate attempts by the Channel 4 team to contact him, he failed to uphold his commitment to attend. However, the Sri Lankan High Commission in London

Meanwhile, the International Crisis Group (ICG) report which called on the international community to push for an independent international inquiry  was also dismissed.

Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Canada has dismissed claims her government committed war crimes.

“…there were no war crimes. We have been handling this conflict, so let us handle this,” Chithranganee Wagiswara said, speaking to The Globe and Mail.

She claimed that any concerns about the war will be addressed by the commission set up by the President Mahinda Rajapakse.

But the ICG report states that any investigations spearheaded by the Sri Lankan authorities are not going to be impartial, “given the entrenched culture of impunity” in Sri Lanka, which expelled foreign journalists and aid workers during the war’s final months.

That impunity, Ms. Arbour said in an interview, was bolstered by an international community eager to see the end of the ruthless Tiger movement and happy to look the other way “to give [the Sri Lankan government] a chance to finish it off for good” last May.

Meanwhile in Sri Lanka outrage is growing at what is perceived as western interference in domestic matters.

Accusations of human rights groups such as ICG, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International being on the payroll of the LTTE have been made in several Sinhala media outlets, including newspapers and on blog-sites.

“It would have been surprising indeed if there were no such moves to mark the end of terrorism in Sri Lanka, and the restoration of peace after 30 long years,” claimed the state run Daily News newspaper.

“It is a trend in some quarters of the West, that help keep the LTTE flag flying after the rout it suffered in May last year, and keep finding new evidence to suit their ends,” the paper reported.