GOVT. DENIES ‘MALICIOUS’ ALLEGATIONS BY CHANNEL 4 FILM

The Sri Lankan Government has categorically denied allegations that it has deliberately targeted its own civilians, as the Channel 4 alleges in its film “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields”.

The Channel 4 film has the potential to incite hatred amongst different communities in Sri Lanka, including future generations, and thereby, adversely affect the ongoing national reconciliation process, the High Commission of Sri Lanka in London stated in a release.

Following is excerpts from the release issued by the High Commission today (June 15):

“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. This process will also take into consideration all matters that are important to the Sri Lankans living in Sri Lanka, and therefore, it should be allowed to continue without any hindrance or prejudice. It is recalled that reports of some well known Commissions in countries with much richer resources have taken decades to see day light.”

“The Government of Sri Lanka is concerned about the distress the images in the Channel 4 film aired without any guarantee of their authenticity might have caused to the viewers, particularly to those belonging to different communities in Sri Lanka. This is an exercise which is carried out by a small section of international media at the behest of certain parties with vested interests and it caters only to the interests of separatist forces living outside Sri Lanka, the final objective of which is to push Sri Lanka back to war, by way of lacerating the wounds that the country is attempting to heal.”

“The Channel 4 film has the potential to incite hatred amongst different communities in Sri Lanka, including future generations, and thereby, adversely affect the ongoing national reconciliation process.”

“The malicious allegations in the film regarding the conduct of the Sri Lankan Army are in striking contrast to the standards maintained by the Sri Lankan Army. As the Channel 4 has continuously depended on footage already publicized by the LTTE websites and media bodies and also those claimed to have been supplied by the pro-LTTE lobby, the viewers may use caution in drawing any conclusions on the basis of this film. Channel 4’s gross simplification of sensitive matters, on face value, insinuates only a sinister motive driven by a political agenda against Sri Lanka.”

The Government of Sri Lanka continues to remain engaged with UN agencies, INGOs and peoples representatives on improving the conditions and the rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people, the High Commission of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom further stated.

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