Minister Bogollagama briefs British Parliamentarians on the developments in Sri Lanka at the House of Commons [read more..]

Eyewitness to carnage: The British Woman caught in brutal civil war – The Guardian, 16 September 2009

The following is the full statement sent to the Guardian by the High Commission at 2130 hrs BST on 15 September as an interim response to the above article.

"The Sri Lanka High Commission in London categorically deny the allegation levelled against the Government of Sri Lanka and its armed forces by Ms. Damilvani Gnanakumar. The Government of Sri Lanka has all reasons to believe that she has gone to Sri Lanka and worked in the conflict area according to the LTTE's agenda, while overstaying her visa. [Read more...]

Statement by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama: Channel 4 UK Television Programme

The Government of Sri Lanka is concerned over an increasing number of comments from some sections of the international community, on an unauthenticated video footage telecast on Channel 4 Television in the UK on 25th August 2009, which contains alleged atrocities being committed against Tamils by the Sri Lankan Forces. [Read more..]

Statement to the Channel 4 News – 25 August 2009

"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".

 Press Statement

1. The Government of Sri Lanka attaches the highest importance to the protection of civilians in the theatre of conflict. This is in accordance with the respect for human rights and International Humanitarian Law regimes.

2. It is now a well established fact that the LTTE is forcibly keeping more than 120,000 civilians with them in a small pocket in Wanni region and being used as a human shield. The President of Sri Lanka in his public appeal made on January 29, 2009 to the LTTE has requested to ensure free movement of those civilians who are being kept with them against their will within next 48 hours. In his statement the President has assured safe passage for civilians to a secured environment

3. The Government of India on January 29, 2009 has welcomed the important announcement made by the President. The Australian Government in its statement on January 30, 2009 too has welcomed the President’s announcement and calls the LTTE to adhere to the request made by the President.

4. The information so far available from the conflict area indicates around 6000 civilians have escaped from the LTTE fascists grip and had returned to the government controlled areas where they have been received by the government officials.

5. Every international and regional Human Right organisations have condemned the violations of human rights by LTTE during the protracted conflict in Sri Lanka. The LTTE has exhibited callous disrespect to human rights where they have been engaging in summary executions, conscription of children as child soldiers and forced labour. It is a well-known fact that the LTTE has prevented Tamil civilians accessing much needed health care and attention for those who are in need. Ms. Yolanda Foster Researcher – Sri Lanka at the Amnesty International has categorised this deliberate act as a war crime.

6. It is clear from the track record of the LTTE since its inception has very little or no respect to the human rights as well as the right to life of the innocent civilians.

7. Under the circumstances we urge the international community on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka to exert adequate pressure on the LTTE to adhere to the request made by the President of Sri Lanka by way of unconditional release of civilians who are being kept with them.

High Commission of Sri Lanka
London
30/01/2009

LTTE Event at Excel, London - 27 November 2008

Front organizations of the LTTE in the UK organized a public event at ExCeL London, 1, Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL, on 27th November 2008 to celebrate the birthday of LTTE leader Prabhakaran and to commemorate and glorify the deaths of suicide bombers. It was organized while the LTTE being a proscribed terrorist organization under the UK Terrorism Act.

Well before the 27th November 2008, the Sri Lanka High Commission in London informed the relevant British political and security authorities concerning the holding of this event. The High Commission drew attention to the fact that this event is being used by the LTTE front organizations to propagate LTTE terrorist ideology among the Diaspora Tamils and to raise funds for terrorist activities. They have, in the past displayed and sold LTTE paraphernalia and photographs of their leader and telecast the so called ‘heroes day speech’ of Velupillai Prabhakaran to the gathering. As a consequence of the proceedings, it was quite clear that the so called ‘Heroes Day’ (Maveerar Naal) was a callous disregard to the British law and an event to propagate and support terrorism on the soil of the sovereign state of Sri Lanka.

Despite the protests and warnings made by the High Commission, the organizers were allowed to proceed with the event on 27 November 2008. As the High Commission predicted and cautioned, the event has yielded the same results as previous years. The LTTE front organizations have used the event to raise funds by various means and broadcast the speech of the LTTE leader to the gathering. The High Commission is already in the process of contacting the relevant British authorities to pursue further in this regard.

High Commission of Sri Lanka,
30 November, 2008

Photographic Exhibition organised by APPG-T.

An official of this High Commission attended the photographic exhibition organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPG-T), to gather first hand information, reported that it was a total failure.  The exhibition took place in one of the smallest rooms in the Parliament building, the space being approximately 8x6 feet.  The official saw no representatives from the Tamil community except the organisers who were moving around in a state of desperation.  It started behind schedule for want of participation and the High Commission official had to wait.  

The exhibits comprised approximately 25 photographs with captions.  Some photographs depicted killings by the LTTE of Tamils suspected of being Government informants.  These photographs had been prominently displayed with manufactured facts to mislead.   The High Commission official in fact confronted the organisers about the inaccuracies. 

This High Commission has sensitised the British Foreign Office and other relevant authorities on this exhibition, expressing our concern that the mother of Parliaments was being used to promote terrorism and mislead Parliamentarians.  Steps are being taken by the High Commission to hold an exhibition to project the correct ground situation in Sri Lanka.     

High Commission of Sri Lanka

25/07/2008