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Friday, 17 June 2011

Sri Lanka Reconciliation Commission to examine Channel 4 video

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) appointed to probe Sri Lanka's civil war with the Tamil Tiger terrorists will examine the documentary aired by Britain's Channel 4 TV that showed supposedly new footage of alleged war crimes during the later stages of the war.

LLRC spokesman Lakshman Wickremasinghe told the media that the Commission has already been examining the documentary evidence related to the war and the Channel 4 video will also be examined as a part of that process.

"We have been similarly examining documentary evidence such as photographs as part of our routine procedure from time to time including the Channel 4's previous video," Wickremasinghe said.

"This is not a special treatment of the Channel 4 video," Wickremasinghe added.

The British TV station Tuesday (June 14) broadcast a documentary named "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields" on the alleged war crimes that according to the producers, contained new extended video footage on a segment previously aired by the Channel 4.

The Sri Lankan government flatly rejected the video saying that the footage was a mere collection of previously aired unverified evidence put together by vested interests against the Sri Lankan government.

The External Affairs Ministry said the documentary, like the UN Expert Panel report, puts together a sequence of events and images, to justify a conclusion arrived at in advance.

"It is a mere collection of visuals previously aired through LTTE websites and a miniscule section of the international media, at the behest of parties with vested interests to undermine the present efforts at reconciliation and development taking place in Sri Lanka," the government said.

However, the government said it is one of the matters before the LLRC to examine before it wraps up its work by mid-November 2011.

"If the allegations levelled by Channel 4 or any other party are found to be genuine, the LLRC will take due note of all such cases and remedial measures will be taken by way of legal sanctions," the government said.

The LLRC has watched the previous shorter version the Channel 4 aired and sought expert opinion to verify the authenticity.

During the latter stages of war Channel 4 aired a similar video in May 2009 claiming abuse and purportedly showing the inside of a welfare camp in Vavuniya. Sri Lankan government deported Nick Paton-Walsh and two other members of Channel 4 crew from the country for producing the video.

In what claimed to be an independently filmed video from one of the welfare centers in Vavuniya that was broadcasted by Channel 4 on May 5th, Mr. Walsh citing unidentified 'aid workers' claimed that dead bodies were strewn in the camps and there are shortages of food and water, and sexual abuse.



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