UN for probe into SL war crime clip

Dec 04, 2010 |

IANS

London, Dec. 3: The UN has sought a fresh probe into alleged war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan troops, expressing shock over a new video released by Britain’s Channel 4 News, which featured the army men executing naked men and women.

The video, which was telecast on Tuesday, shows government troops executing civilians in the last few weeks of the 26-year Sri Lanka war, which ended last year when the island government declared victory over the Tamil rebel group LTTE — the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

It is shocking indeed, and clearly deserves more investigation, Mr Christof Heyns, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, was quoted as saying by Channel 4 News.

In the video, a Sri Lankan soldier is seen shooting one of the blindfolded prisoners in the leg as he lies amongst the bodies of other Tamil prisoners on the ground. The soldier is then seen walking away and turning directly to the camera.

His image is briefly out of camera shot behind another soldier before he appears again close to camera — his face clearly visible.

The video is a longer version of one which already sparked a UN investigation 16 months ago when it first came to light. Channel 4 News has sent the new video to the UN panel investigating allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lanka high commission in Britain had denied that the videos aired by Channel 4 News were authentic.

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