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The High Commission of Sri Lanka categorically denies that the
Channel 4 News TV video is authentic. Last year when Channel 4
News telecast a similar video the Government of Sri Lanka
clearly established, by reference to technical considerations,
that it was not genuine but fake. The present video is nothing
more than an elongated version of the same video.
It is observed that there is a common pattern in these sinister
moves. Some sections were replete with photographs of alleged
war crimes when Sri Lanka’s application for the extension of GSP+
facility was being considered by the European Commission. A
leading British newspaper had received photographs of alleged
war crimes when the Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister visited
the United Kingdom last October. The suppliers themselves had
admitted that they were not in a position to confirm the
authenticity, place or the veracity of the material supplied by
them.
The latest move coincides with the visit to the United Kingdom
of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
It is no secret that the anti-Sri Lankan separatist lobby which
is behind these moves live in the comforts mainly in the West,
and have not contributed towards restoration of normalcy and
livelihoods of the deprived people affected by the conflict.
Instead they continue to resuscitate the separatist ideology.
Defeat of the LTTE has opened up democratic freedoms to the
entire country. An eight member Lessons Learn and Reconciliation
Commission appointed after the end of the conflict which is
tasked to report on the lessons to be learnt from the past
events and recommend measures to ensure that there will be no
recurrence of such a situation. The Commission has sat many
times including in the former conflict zones and made interim
recommendations. The support for the extremists who seek
resurgence of violence in order to incite hatred is fast
diminishing.
Sri Lanka High Commission
London
30 November 2010
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