US State Dept document tainted
The Foreign Ministry yesterday rejected allegations against the
Government of Sri Lanka in the document titled 'Report to Congress on
Incidents during the recent conflict in Sri Lanka' as unsubstantiated
and devoid of corroborative evidence.
It noted that there was a track record of vested interests
endeavouring to bring the Government of Sri Lanka into disrepute through
fabricated allegations and concocted stories.
"Thereby these interests hope to fan once again, the flames of
secessionism and undo the concerted efforts of the Government and people
of Sri Lanka, for rehabilitation and national reconciliation.
The people of Sri Lanka therefore have every reason to be concerned
that this report to the US Congress, may be abused for a similar end,
the Foreign Ministry said in a news release.
Following is the full text of the release:
The United States has forwarded to the Sri Lanka authorities a
document captioned 'Report to Congress on Incidents during the recent
conflict in Sri Lanka', which contains a report from the US State
Department to the Appropriations Committees of the US Congress.
The Foreign Ministry wishes to point out in this regard that the
document relates to a period when the Security Forces of Sri Lanka were
engaged in a humanitarian mission through operations in the North and in
the East of the island, to free the members of the Tamil community and
the members of other communities living in those areas, from the
clutches of the terror of the LTTE.
The great relief with which the populace in those areas greeted the
success of the operations was manifest when, within the space of a few
days between the end of April and the start of May this year hundreds of
thousands of men, women and children who were being used as human
shields by the LTTE, escaped towards the security afforded by the Armed
Forces, once the Army breached the LTTE lines.
During the security operations, the message by the President of Sri
Lanka to all ranks of the Armed Forces, was that the military endeavour
must at all times be directed against the armed terrorism of the LTTE.
Therefore, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces were scrupulous in affording
protection to the civilians and safeguarding their welfare. At the same
time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to point out that Sri Lanka
has since gaining independence, maintained an unbroken commitment to
democratic governance, with the rule of law remaining paramount.
Hence, the practice of the Government of Sri Lanka is always to
subject to investigation under domestic law and process those
allegations that prima facie appear to be credible and well
substantiated.
Moreover, Sri Lanka's domestic jurisprudence provides all the
necessary scope for those perceiving themselves subjected to a violation
of their human rights, to obtain redress through judicial directives to
the concerned authorities.
It must also be said that the allegations against the Government of
Sri Lanka in the document 'Report to Congress on incidents during the
recent conflict in Sri Lanka', appear to be unsubstantiated and devoid
of corroborative evidence.
There is a track record of vested interests endeavouring to bring the
Government of Sri Lanka into disrepute, through fabricated allegations
and concocted stories.
Thereby these interests hope to fan, once again, the flames of
secessionism and to undo the concerned efforts of the Government and
people of Sri Lanka, for rehabilitation and national reconciliation.
The people of Sri Lanka therefore have every reason to be concerned
that this report to the US Congress, may be abused for a similar end. |