Controversial findings on Udalagama & Paranagama Commission

Is it the LTTE or the Army ....

who had committed war crimes?

BBC and newspapers in two opinions

Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha yesterday (20) tabled the extremely important local investigation reports, the Udalagama and Paranagama Commission Reports and the Geneva Human Rights Commission Report regarding what took place towards the final period of the war.

Today's newspapers have reported that investigation Commissions of the Udalagama and Paranagama which were appointed at a time when Mahinda Rajapaksa was in power had stated that it was not the Sri Lankan Army who was responsible for the crimes carried out during the final stages of the war, but the LTTE. Whatever it is, copies of this report have still not been released to the media. But what the BBC Website has reported was that the Maxwell Paranagama Presidential Commission had mentioned that the Channel 4 video clips of Britain had broadcast accusing the Sri Lankan Army as having committed war crimes is true and based on that foundation it has been deduced by the Presidential Commission that scenes included in the documentary film broadcast by Channel 4 supplies circumstantial evidence about war crimes.

Since there are two opinions expressed in relation to reports of the commission, after a study by the MPs on this matter, a parliamentary debate on this topic is expected to be held tomorrow (22) and day-after-tomorrow (23). According to what has been published in several newspapers today, in respect of the report forwarded by Mawell Paranagama, it has been confirmed by available evidence that it is the LTTE Organisation that is responsible for the killings of civilians during the final 12 hours of the final battle. As quoted in the Paranagama Commission Report, it is the Tiger Movement who is responsible for the deaths of the civilians in the last 12 hours of the final encounter. Newspapers say that it is stated in the Paranagama Report that the LTTE had kept one lakh upto 3 lakhs 33 thousand civilians in their custody in order to stabilize their objectives connected to the war and had taken measures to murder them and the LTTE who utilized the civil folk as a shield had wanted to maintain their leadership by making use of the lives of the civilians and had handed over weapons to the children and the civilians as well and sent them to the forefront and had even killed the civilians who tried to flee from the custody of the LTTE.

The Paranagama Commission says that the Darusman Report had been prepared with the intention of subjecting the government accusing it on war crimes. It also says that though it is stated in the Darusman Report that 40,000 civilians had given their lives, such a thing cannot be accepted and that the Darusman Report says so merely on hearsay. The Udalagama Report which is its second report had inquired into violation of human rights and had made investigations into incidents of 51 persons being killed in Sonchole, 17 members of non-governmental organisations of France being murdered, Muslim nationals of Muttur being killed which included 16 incidents in all.

Whatever it is, what the BBC reports is that the Maxwell Paranagama Presidential Commission had mentioned that the video clip which was broadcast by Channel 4 of Britain saying that the army of Sri Lanka had been involved in these war crimes is genuine. Based on that the Paranagama Commission recommends that circumstantial evidence is provided by scenes in the documentary film broadcast by Channel 4 and since scenes of Channel 4 appears to be true, a formal judicial investigation be conducted in that connection.

It is mentioned therein that the Presidential Commission has recommended that an independent inquiry be carried out under the precedence of a judge over the deaths of everyone including Balasingham, Nadesan and S. Pulidevan who were supposed to have surrendered with white flags in their hands. The BBC further reports that the Maxwell Commission had stated that Channel 4 has put forward 'credible accusations' to the effect that crimes which could be considered in the category of war crimes had been committed by the Sri Lankan Army towards the latter stages of the war.

Since these reports have still not been released to the press, it is not revealed as to what in fact the genuine reports are.