A Report put out by the LTTE on April 28 detailing what it characterizes as “Tamil civilians murdered by, and under the supervision of Sri Lankan Armed Forces since Geneva Talks until April 27, 2006” is an exercise in cynicism at its worst and is not based on fact.

LTTE’s record of abductions, child conscription and political killings of dissenting Tamil politicians as well as terror killings of civilians has been widely documented and disseminated by international humanitarian and human rights organizations, including UNICEF, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Killings, the Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The propaganda ploy adopted by the LTTE in placing the blame on Tamil civilians for its cowardly claymore mine attacks against the security forces, prior to the Geneva Talks as well as after, now stands exposed. In particular, it exposes the nature of the LTTE in placing the Tamil civilians in an extremely vulnerable and dangerous situation by casting the blame on them and using them as human shield. Far worse, the LTTE by this ploy have stigmatized the peace-loving Tamil people as “terrorists” – a label that applies only to the LTTE and not the peace-loving Tamil people in general that the LTTE so cynically claims to represent solely.

In any event, as far as cold statistics are concerned, since Geneva Talks (i.e. 24th February-27th April, 2006) a total of 42 civilians were killed by the LTTE, the majority of them being Tamils. In addition, 18 Navy, 31 Army, 3 Airforce, 4 Police, 7 Homeguards were killed by the LTTE in their cowardly claymore mine and grenade attacks in largely civilian populated areas. A detailed report will be made available to the public at the earliest.

Meanwhile, we wish to recall the observation by Philip Alston the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, summary or arbitrary executions following his recent visit to Sri Lanka in December, 2005 where he observed, “These killings should not be thought of only in the cold and detached language and statistics of `ceasefire violations’, although they clearly are that. Nor should they be thought of only in abstract terms as violations of the international obligations of the parties, although they are that too. Most importantly, they are violating the right to life of a large number of Sri Lankan from all ethnic groups, and by undermining the peace process, putting at risk the lives of many more”.

He further observed that “The failure to effectively investigate the killings has resulted in many areas of the North and East – whether controlled by the Government or by the LTTE- becoming zones of impunity for killers with different motivations and affiliations. This in turn generates inflammatory and often contradictory rumours that risk giving way to cycles of retaliation”.

The Government is acutely aware of the cycle of violence initiated primarily by the LTTE, but reinforced by retaliatory attacks on the LTTE by armed groups functioning largely in LTTE-controlled areas. Needless to say, the Government stands fully committed to the Ceasefire Agreement as well as to the Agreements reached at the Geneva Talks in February, 2006 and will enforce it to the best of its ability, regardless of the source of violence.

For instance, the killings of Mr. Pararajasingham and Mr.Vigneswaran are now the subject of two major investigations under the direct supervision of the Inspector General of Police. Other killings such as those of the schoolboys in Trincomalee, the recent killings in Avissawella and similar incidents are being investigated at present.

The LTTE should also recognize that the cycle of violence that is taking a heavy toll on civilians, Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, cannot be averted by an exchange of allegations and charges, but only through dialogue and a sincere commitment to finding a negotiated settlement to the conflict and the bloodshed that it generates.