Human Rights Watch report completely biased: Jeyaraj

Nadira Gunatilleke and Manjula Fernando

COLOMBO: The Human Rights Watch report is completely biased and only supporting the LTTE. This is an International organisation and it is sad to see that this organisation is supporting the LTTE which is a terrorist group only second to Taliban and al-Qaeda, Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said.

Addressing the weekly press briefing at the Government Information Department yesterday, the Minister said the Human Rights Watch report has stated that the Karuna group recruited 200 child soldiers but forgotten to mention that the LTTE recruited 5,000 child soldiers by May this year.

“Nothing was mentioned about this in the report and it is only aimed at creating a link between the Karuna faction and the Government to criticise the Government,” Fernandopulle said.

The report has also accused President Mahinda Rajapaksa of threatening an editor of a Tamil newspaper which is not true.

The President himself had denied this earlier. It is sad to see this organisation prepare reports without studying and examining things properly, he said.

“I wish to ask the Human Rights Watch if it is trying to block foreign aid flowing to upgrade the living conditions of the needy.

The Government is getting foreign aid to develop the Eastern Province and I ask the Human Rights Watch if it is trying to stop that aid, stop the development and give an advantage to the LTTE,” he added