Finding truth about Sri Lankan civil war reports

I am invariably shocked reading the Sri Lankan denial stories, one of which you elected to publish. (Re: Sri Lanka hits out at UN civil war report).

I might be wrong here, but I do not recall you publishing any opinions in the Irish Examiner about the damning UN’s internal probe report on Sri Lanka, or the ignominious conduct of some UN high-ranking officials acting against their consciences during the war and aftermath.

This is not the first time that the Sri Lankan government has denied such a report or slammed the doors on any independent observers.

It is always the Sri Lankan version that the military, exclusively from the majority ethnicity, adopted a humanitarian approach and maintained a ‘zero civilian casualty’ in the battle.

At that time, Sri Lanka even circulated false information during the war that only 70,000 people were there in the ‘no fire zone’ and had a high ranking official from the subcontinent to make this claim.

The Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, one of the presidential siblings, still maintains that the injured insurgents ‘changed their uniforms into civilian clothes’.

It is in this respect, your inconsistency in the selection of news stories will definitely make Sri Lanka feel happy and continue its anti-press practices. No surprise here. Sri Lanka called on the Middle East leaders yesterday to display restraint and avoid civilian casualties in Gaza.

Sandy Vadi

Toronto

Ontario

Canada