Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Co-Spokesman Dr Rajitha Senaratne categorically rejected allegations that Sri Lanka’s military forces had used cluster bombs during their campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that saw mass atrocities committed against Tamil civilians.
Mr Senaratne stressed that Sri Lanka similar photographs of cluster ammunition had been put forward before, and asked for verification if the photographs had been taken in Sri Lanka, reports Adaderena.lk.
Mr Senaratne added that there was no proof that the cluster bomb was used b the Sri Lankan army, suggesting that it could have been used by the LTTE.
Questioning the timing of the reports that emerged in the Guardian newspaper, he said,
“It has been around 6 years since demining was carried out. Why are they saying this now. “Such photos have been shown all the time, especially when Geneva is in session. How many photographs had been shown all these while? Did they show anywhere that these belonged to the Sri Lankan army? The LTTE also could have used it.”
Dr Varatharajah, a doctor that worked in the No Fire Zone where the Sri Lankan government allegedly dropped cluster bombs, said he had seen first-hand unexploded cluster bombs, and wounds inflicted due to cluster bombs in his patients.
Speaking to Ceylon News he said,
““Then we have several evidences of Sri Lankan forces using the cluster bombs and phosphorous bombs especially on the no-fire-zone during the war time. A lot of people were killed by cluster bombs and phosphorous bombs and we received several people with injuries due to cluster bomb.”
Leaked photos confirm cluster bomb use in Sri Lanka (20 Jun 2016)
Mr Senaratne stressed that Sri Lanka similar photographs of cluster ammunition had been put forward before, and asked for verification if the photographs had been taken in Sri Lanka, reports Adaderena.lk.
Mr Senaratne added that there was no proof that the cluster bomb was used b the Sri Lankan army, suggesting that it could have been used by the LTTE.
Questioning the timing of the reports that emerged in the Guardian newspaper, he said,
“It has been around 6 years since demining was carried out. Why are they saying this now. “Such photos have been shown all the time, especially when Geneva is in session. How many photographs had been shown all these while? Did they show anywhere that these belonged to the Sri Lankan army? The LTTE also could have used it.”
Dr Varatharajah, a doctor that worked in the No Fire Zone where the Sri Lankan government allegedly dropped cluster bombs, said he had seen first-hand unexploded cluster bombs, and wounds inflicted due to cluster bombs in his patients.
Speaking to Ceylon News he said,
““Then we have several evidences of Sri Lankan forces using the cluster bombs and phosphorous bombs especially on the no-fire-zone during the war time. A lot of people were killed by cluster bombs and phosphorous bombs and we received several people with injuries due to cluster bomb.”
Leaked photos confirm cluster bomb use in Sri Lanka (20 Jun 2016)