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STF action justified - Kanchirankudah report

by Sarath Malalasekera

former Air Vice Marshal Harry Gunatilleke handing over the report of the three member committee that probed the attack on the STF Kanchirankudah Camp to Interior Minister John Amaratunga yesterday.

The action taken by the Special Task Force (STF) to repel the mob which attacked the Kanchirankudah Camp was justified as there was an imminent danger to the camp being overrun by the attackers, the Committee that investigated the incident has said in its report.

The STF had not exceeded the rights of self defence. But the STF had used 28 bullets which was too much, observed former Air Vice Marshal Harry Gunatilleke at the media conference held at the Interior Ministry yesterday morning.

The former Air Force chief who was the Chairman of the three member committee that probed the attack on the STF Kanchirankudah Camp on October 9, 2002 handed over the report to Interior Minister John Amaratunga yesterday.

The other members of the committee were former High Court Judge Oliver Weerasena and Samiththambi Vivekanandan, who represented the people in the area.

Vivekanandan handed over a dissenting report to the Minister and said he would not fully agree with the report submitted by the Committee Chairman.

The Chairman told the media that he had viewed a video film in which he saw how the mob entered the camp and damaged the buildings.

Following the attack seven persons died and over 15 persons were injured. The incident first occurred when LTTE cadres travelling in a tractor had failed to obey the stop order made by STF personnel manning the camp entrance, the Committee chairman said.

The former Air Force chief observed that the LTTE leadership had not been given the correct picture of the incident by its cadres.

The report suggested that a Joint Task Force Unit be set up for the entire country with the Army Commander as head of this unit.

Interior Minister John Amaratunga said he would convey the suggestions made in the report to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. It is the view of the Government that all communities should live without any differences in harmony.

Minister Amaratunga directed Vivekanandan, one of the committee members, to inform the LTTE leader about the correct position of the incident and not to have repetition of such incident.

The Interior Minister said he would study both reports submitted to him before making any suggestions and also observed that he would not blame any party involved in the incident. Interior Ministry Secretary M.N. Junaid, Ministry Advisor M. Somasunderam and former DIG Lal Ratnayake also participated.

Earlier Commandant of the Special Task Force (STF) DIG Nimal Gunatilleke told the Daily News that there was no truth in the story appearing in the media (not Lake House Group) that 14 STF personnel were sent on a punishment transfer out of the Kanchirankudah Camp.

DIG Gunatilleke appealed to the public not take into consideration rumours about the transfers. DIG Gunatilleke will discuss all the relevant issues when he visits Batticaloa to meet LTTE's commander for the East Karuna. He will have friendly talks during the weekend.

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