Sri Lanka Army rejects BBC report on Kilinochchi protest against Channel 4

Sri Lanka Army has strongly rejected a BBC news report that said the people in Kilinochchi who protested against Britain's Channel4 video were tricked into protesting by the Army.

Army Spokesman Major General Ubhaya Medawala has told the state-run radio that there is no truth in the report by the BBC Sandeshaya programme with regard to the protest carried out by around 1,000 civilians in Kilinochchi against the Channel 4 documentary.

"The people in the area were completely aware that the protest took place to support the development drive currently taking place in Kilinochchi as well as to oppose the channel-4's attempts to disrupt the process," the spokesman has said.

The BBC report quoting unnamed protesters said the people were "tricked into take part in a meeting about relief programmes by the military."

The BBC report said the protesters have told the BBC Sandeshaya that Sri Lanka Army vehicles transported the resettled internally displaced people who took part in the protest and they were offered breakfast before handing out placards.

"They protesters insist that they did not voluntarily take part in the protest," the BBC report said.