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Colombo: U.N. stand unfounded

COLOMBO: The United Nations on Saturday said at least 2,800 people had been killed and 7,000 injured since January 20 in Sri Lanka’s war zone and charged that the Army’s and LTTE’s actions constituted possible “war crimes”.

The Sri Lankan government took serious exception to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights statement and said not only were the figures unfounded but also equating a legitimate elected government with a terrorist outfit was unfair.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay deplored what she termed as the mounting deaths and injuries to civilians due to the “bitter” conflict and said some moves by both sides could amount to war crimes.

The LTTE is believed to be holding civilians as human shields and shooting those trying to leave their control. “The brutal and inhuman treatment of civilians by the LTTE is utterly reprehensible and should be examined to see if it constitutes war crimes,” the High Commissioner said. Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe expressed the displeasure of the government over the U.N. statement. “We are extremely disappointed and dismayed over the unprofessional statement issued by the United Nations Human Rights body that the government of Sri Lanka along with Tamil Tiger rebels may have committed war crimes during the present military clashes.”

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