Sri Lanka - interview with army spokesperson

378 civilians killed in attack but army denies responsibility

Article published on the 2009-05-10 Latest update 2009-05-11 08:44 TU

A progress map of battle against the Tamil Tigers
(Picture: Sri Lanka Military)

Three-hundred and seventy eight people were killed during a 24-hour artillery barrage that began late on Saturday, according to a doctor working in the region. A pro-rebel website had said that more than 2,000 civilians were killed. But the army has told RFI that these claims by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are false.

A statement posted on the pro-rebel website, Tamilnet, on Sunday claimed that an assault by the Sri Lankan army, “slaughtered more than 2,000 civilians including a large number of women and children,” according to medical sources in Vanni.

Meanwhile, Western media reported that a doctor working in the area said that 378 people were killed and 1,122 injured.

Both these reports have been denied by the Sri Lankan military.

“This is not true, this is all execrated stories, this has been done intentionally, to tarnish the image of the operations conducted by the army troops,” Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told RFI. “At the same time, yesterday when 312 people tried to escape, and they escaped towards the southern part of the safety zone towards the military, they [the LTTE] fired at them, 9 civilians got killed, and 19 injured,” he added.

Since Kilinochchi, the de facto capital of the rebels, was captured by the army at the start of this year, government troops have gradually forced the LTTE into a small area in the north east of the country.

But there are still no signs of an end to the offensive.

“It’s not possible to give a timeline, because our main prime aim is to rescue the civilians, that’s the main reason for us to re-demarcate the civilians, considering the concentration of civilians in that area,” says Nanayakkara.

The army has also dismissed a report by Human Rights Watch which detailed a number of attacks on hospitals in the region, since the end of last year.

“These are all fabricated stories, because this area doesn’t have any government hospitals, only makeshift hospitals are there. And we have not conducted any offensive or any killing,” Nanayakkara told RFI.

As with all other elements of this conflict, the army thinks this is the latest attack in an on-going war of information.

“Even last time when they issued the footage, it was confirmed that the people got killed inside the hospitals, but then the surrounding areas have not even been disturbed, so that itself shows that it is LTTE propaganda activities, to tarnish the image of the army, and stop the offensive against the LTTE terrorists,” says Nanayakkara.

Journalists are not currently allowed to report from the area. And on Sunday a British television team were forced to leave the country after producing a report which included allegations of sexual abuse in one of the Tamil internment camps.

“If anybody who has violated the laws of Sri Lanka, will be deported, so that is the rule of this country” Nanayakkara told RFI, from Colombo.

Both the British Foreign Office and the television company condemned the deportation.

“We were in touch with the journalists and provided consular assistance. This is a deeply disappointing decision when the case for more transparency not less is overwhelming,” a statement from the Foreign Office said.

“We will be seeking an explanation from the Sri Lankan government for this decision,” a statement from ITN said.