Is this evidence of Sri Lankan 'war crimes'?

Updated on 25 August 2009

By Jonathan Miller

Channel 4 News shows footage claimed to show Sri Lankan forces executing Tamils earlier this year. Jonathan Miller reports.

Just three months after the Sri Lankan government declared the country liberated from the Tamil Tigers, video footage has emerged apparently showing government troops summarily executing Tamils.

Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka, which obtained the material, said it was filmed in January - when the international media were prevented by the Sri Lankan government from covering the conflict zone.

Tonight, the Sri Lankan High Commission denied the government had carried out atrocities against the Tamil community.

The Sri Lankan government launched a large scale military offensive in January capturing the Tamil Tiger held town of Kilinochchi. The army then steadily pushed the rebels into an small area of the north-east.

Be warned - there are extremely disturbing scenes in this report from our foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Miller.

Sri Lanka High Commission response

"The High Commission of Sri Lanka categorically deny that the Sri Lankan armed forces engaged in atrocities against Sri Lankan Tamil community. They were only engaged in a military offensive against the LTTE.

"The High Commission has noted that in many instances in the past, various media institutions used doctored videos, photographs and documents to defame the Sri Lankan government and armed forces. Therefore, we request you to verify the authenticity of the video footage before the telecast".

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/asia_pacific/is+this+evidence+of+sri+lankan+aposwar+crimesapos/3321087

Prachanda slams India, Lanka for fight against rebels

Yubaraj Ghimire
Posted: Monday , Aug 03, 2009 at 0303 hrs Kathmandu:

The Communist Party of Maoists-Nepal (CPN-M) on Sunday criticised the governments of India and Sri Lanka for their “oppressive” campaigns against rebels in the two countries. The CPN-M said its central committee opposed such “repressions” and felt such methods used by the state against armed groups will be counter productive.

CPN-M chief Prachanda said the party would maintain close contacts with COMPOSA (Coordination of Maoist Parties of South Asia), which has its underground headquarters in India, and RIM (Revolutionary International Movement), an umbrella body of ultra-left militants worldwide.

This is the first time that Prachanda has given a clear message that the CPN-M’s joining the peace process in Nepal three years ago does not mean giving up arms, and that it supports any armed movement outside the country. He also set a four-day deadline for the Nepal government to correct the “unconstitutional step” of reinstating army chief R Katawal. “If our demands are not met within the deadline set, we will start people’s revolt,” he said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Prachanda-slams-India--Lanka-for-fight-against-rebels/497249
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