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U.N. official faults Muttur killings probe

COLOMBO: United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, on Monday made a strong plea to the Sri Lanka Government to investigate with “full weight and force of justice” the execution style killing of 17 aid workers of a French NGO in Muttur in the east a year ago.

Speaking on the occasion of the first anniversary of the killings, Mr. Holmes expressed the hope that the anniversary would serve as a wake-up call to all those who take lightly the unique role of humanitarian workers, and the obligation not only to allow them the access and the space they need to do their work but also the obligation to keep them, as neutral humanitarians, safe from harm.

Mr. Holmes is currently here for interaction with the Government of Sri Lanka and others engaged in addressing the humanitarian crisis triggered by the continuing conflict between the military and the LTTE.

A year after the killings, no one has a clue on the culprits responsible for the cold blooded massacre.

The military and the Tigers blame each other for the tragedy. The contention of each of them is that Muttur, the theatre of pitched battles in the first week of August 2006, was not under their control when the aid workers were executed.

Mr. Holmes maintained that the Muttur massacre was probably the single worst crime committed against humanitarian workers in recent history and lamented that despite the lapse of a year, no one has been apprehended or charged. “What we need to know is who did this and why, if we are to have any chance of preventing a repeat in the future.

Revealing the truth about this crime is not only important for its own sake, but because the massacre was a terrible assault on the key principles of humanitarian action throughout the world”, he said addressing a gathering at the U.N. office here.

Separately, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a new report, charged that the Government is responsible for unlawful killings, “disappearances” and other human rights violations since the resumption of hostilities with the LTTE last year.

Defence spokesperson and Minister, Keheliya Rembukwella, said though the Government is yet to study the report, there was no truth in the allegation.

In its report, the HRW said it has documented a dramatic increase in abuses by Government forces over the past 18 months and called on the country’s donors and Governments to support a United Nations monitoring mission in Sri Lanka.“The Sri Lankan Government has apparently given its security forces a green light to use ‘dirty war’ tactics,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

“Abuses by the LTTE are no excuse for the Government’s campaign of killings, ‘disappearances’ and forced returns of the displaced.”

It said there is a disturbing rise in abductions and “disappearances”. More than 1,100 new cases were reported between January 2006 and June 2007.

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