Sri Lankan Government Denies Killing Civilians

Conflict continues in Sri Lanka today between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels. Amid an international outcry, Sri Lanka's government has publicly denied allegations that it had fired on its own people. Instead, it blames Tamil Tiger rebels for causing heavy civilian casualties.
Hundreds are reported dead after a military strike in rebel territory on Sunday and Monday.

Sri Lankas minister for disaster management and human rights refuted the accusations the military fired on civilians. He says it was the rebels who fired on civilians theyve been holding hostage for months.

[Mahinda Samarasinghe, Disaster Mgmt. & Human Rights Minister]:
"Categorical position of the government is that we are still not using long range weapons and aerial bombardments because of the civilians who are being held hostage there. Cannot risk the lives of the civilians and we are not using these weapons which would give us an obvious advantage of very quickly taking over this small bit of land that the LTTE is now restricted to."

A doctor in the war zone says more than 400 bodies have been brought to a makeshift hospital. Over 1,300 people were wounded during the two days of shelling.

[Mahinda Samarasinghe, Disaster Mgmt. & Human Rights Minister]:
"The doctor would have been under extreme pressure by the LTTE to come out with this concocted version ironically at a time when there is a move in Geneva by a group of countries to call for a special session on Sri Lanka as well as today in New York where there may be a discussion on Sri Lanka outside the formal sitting of the security council. So all these things seems to be related, seems to be coordinated orchestrated together. Something is happening internationally, there is something stage managed in Sri Lanka."

On Monday, Britain's foreign minister and the U.N. chief said they were appalled by reports of hundreds casualties in what the United Nations called a "blood bath."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntd
• sri lanka
• tamil tiger rebels
• conflict
• united nation
• human rights
• LTTE

[jelicho1]

ado samarasinghe u r a bloody bastard........