Former Sri Lankan Army Commander Sarath Fonseka denied that Sri Lankan troops killed the 12 year old son of LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, however admitted that if such an execution took place, it amounted to a war crime.

Mr Fonseka denied the Sri Lankan army was responsible for the murder, despite photographic evidence of Balachandran Prabhakaran in Sri Lankan army custody.

Evidence obtained by documentary makers in 2013 showed the 12 year old boy, alive and apparently in army custody. Balachandran can be seen sitting with a snack in his hand, sitting on a bench surrounded by sandbags, in what looks like a fortified army position. Another picture shows him dead, with 5 bullet wounds to his body, with digital analysis of both pictures showing that they were taken by the same camera, only a couple of hours apart.

"Both these photographs and the video do not provide any evidence that the terrorist leader’s son was killed by the army; no other persons are seen in the pictures," claimed Mr Fonseka, who was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal by the present government.

"Nobody has been able to prove this allegation though many have voiced their opinion,” he added.

Whilst admitting that if the 12 year old boy was killed, then the execution amounted to a war crime, the former commander remained adamant that Sri Lankan troops were not responsible.

“It is either a figment of their imagination or a fabrication to implicate the army," he said. 

The leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) called on Tamils to mark the traditional Tamil festival of Thai Pongal by praying for those who remain displaced by the armed conflict over 6 years on. 

"My heartfelt Thai Pongal wishes to all Tamil people living across Sri Lanka," Mr Sampanthan said in a written message.

"On this day when we express our thanks to God and nature, I pray that the plight of our people, who are unable to celebrate this festival in their own homes with their loved ones, changes with all speed."

The Tamil National Alliance spokesperson and minister, M A Sumanthiran met with the UK Foreign Office minister for South Asia, Hugo Swire, who is currently on a visit to Sri Lanka.

The issues of accountability, constitutional reform in Sri Lanka and the ongoing day to day issues of the Tamil people were discussed.

Tamils in Jaffna protested carrying black flags on Wednesday ahead of the visit by the Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena and the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, on Friday for the traditional Tamil festival of Thai Pongal.



Holding black flags as a sign of their ongoing oppression, the protesters which included families of the disappeared and detained, put forward five key demands.

- Justice for the genocide and war crimes committing during the armed conflict

- A solution to the Tamil national question that is mediated by a third party

- Thousands of acres of Tamil people's land is currently occupied by the military. This needs to stop immediately.