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Execution video fake: Colombo

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Thursday characterised the video footage aired by Channel 4 U.K. Television on August 25, showing alleged execution in January of civilians by persons in military uniform, as “fake” and expressed concern over an “increasing number of comments” from some sections of the international community on the video.

In a statement here, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said his government reiterated its strong and unequivocal rejection of the contents of the video footage telecast on Channel 4 on the grounds that there was absolutely no truth in its concocted story.

“It is also a deliberate and sinister attempt to cause embarrassment and bring disrepute to the government of Sri Lanka. It is indeed deeply regretted that despite the government of Sri Lanka refuting these allegations, some sections of the international community are repeating these allegations which appear to be an orchestrated campaign against Sri Lanka,” he said.

The Minister said the video footage was reported to have been filmed in January at an unidentified location, at a time when there was a substantial presence of the international community, especially in the areas of conflict.

India and Sri Lanka on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish an India-Sri Lanka Centre of English Language Training (CELT), to be located in Peradeniya in southern Sri Lanka.

The MoU was signed by High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Alok Prasad and Vice-Chancellor of the English and Foreign Language University (EFLU), Hyderabad, Abhay Maurya on the Indian side and Minister of Education ADS Premajayantha and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga representing Sri Lanka at a ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat .

The project is part of a larger initiative to develop English as a life skill in Sri Lanka and is a significant milestone in the “Year of English and IT” being observed in Sri Lanka in 2009.

The CELT is aimed at establishing a permanent institution in Sri Lanka that will help develop greater proficiency in English language among various sections of the Sri Lankan society, including civil servants, students and the qbusiness community.

The CELT will conduct regular courses in English language with an emphasis on development of job-oriented communicative English language skills and it will also train English language teachers from schools, colleges, and universities in Sri Lanka and update them on recent trends in English language teaching.

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