Tuesday, 11 March 2014 01:17
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The army has roundly rejected allegations that have surfaced in new Channel 4 footage on Sunday night, saying it was timed appropriately for the UN Human Rights Council Sessions in Geneva.
“These are incidents that didn’t happen in Sri Lanka that Channel 4 assumes have happened here. This is clearly Channel 4’s attempt to ensure the US resolution at the UNHRC is adopted,” Military Spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said.
The new footage presented by No Fire Zone Director Callum Macrae was aired on Channel 4 on Sunday night and shows images of men dressed in Sri Lanka army uniform appearing to try to sexually abuse dead female LTTE cadres.
The Military Spokesman said Channel 4’s allegation that war crimes had occurred in Sri Lanka was baseless.
Government Spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the Government had fully anticipated the advent of another Channel 4 video this month. “This has happened every year – the end title of each of their videos should be – until we meet again, because they will certainly release another one next year in March during UNHRC sessions,” the Minister said.
The Sri Lankan High Commission issued a strong reaction to the new Channel 4 video, calling the allegations “unmitigated and unsubstantiated rubbish.”
“You make even gutter journalism appear to be Pulitzer prize winning professionalism,” the High Commission said in a statement to Channel 4.
“It is a pity that your continuing propagandist vendetta against Sri Lanka only continues to undermine the process of reconciliation and healing that we have undertaken after a near three-decade long terrorist war. It is certainly not going to help those in Sri Lanka you pretend you are helping but who only wish to live in peace without external meddling and posturing. Your crude journalism exposes both Callum and your calumny,” the High Commission said in the statement.
Director Macrae claimed there was no confirmation as to when exactly the footage – taken on a mobile phone – was filmed during the conflict.
The video shows alleged soldiers cheering as they celebrate the deaths of LTTE cadres. Macrae said in the video that the footage had been examined by a leading forensic pathologist, Dr. Richard Shepherd who had concluded that the footage was not fabricated. (DB)
