By Xinhua –
The Sri Lanka army on Thursday denied using cluster bombs during the 30-year war against Tamil Tiger rebels.
Army spokesman Ruwan Wanigasekera told Xinhua that there were reports of cluster bombs being found by UN deminers in the north of the country.
He said that the claims had been made to some international news agencies based on a report by Allan Poston, the technical adviser for the UN Development Program’s mine action group in Sri Lanka.
“On the use of cluster bombs we have consistently maintained that we never used cluster bombs,” the army spokesman said.
He said Sri Lankan authorities have now urged Poston to provide the details he has over his claims that cluster bombs had been recovered in Puthukudiyiruppu, an area in the north which was once under the control of Tamil Tiger rebels.
He said that once those details are provided then the army will be able to investigate the claims.
“However I would like to stress that neither the army, navy or air force used cluster bombs during the war,” the army spokesman said.
A cluster bomb is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller sub-munitions.
Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles.
Because cluster bombs release many small bomblets over a wide area they pose risks to civilians both during attacks and afterwards.
Sri Lanka defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels after 30 years of war in May 2009, but since then continue to face allegations of committing human rights violations during the final stages of the war.
The Tamil Tigers had often accused the military of using cluster bombs during the war, a claim the government rejected.
gamini / April 26, 2012
The Govt. Forces denied the first CH4 video. Then when the second CH4 was released after many months, They got a statement from Daya Master a former LTTEer now being looked after in comfort with security provided by the very Forces that they masaacred, as it was the work of the LTTE of a fake video. The question is why this Daya Master did not say so when the first video was released? Why did he wait all this time? The shown videos are authentic as they have been filmed by our very own Forces whom could be identified easily. After much hesitation the otherday the Army Commander stated that a Committee has been appointed to Inquire. Why appoint a Committee to Inquire if the videos are fakes? Now the discovery of Cluster bombs by a UN personal, which has been again flatly denied by the Army. It wont be long for the whole cat to be out of the bag, how the American Zionists with the Indians helped MR to lure VP with the promise of devolution and massacred the Tamils afterwards in return for the favour of having elected MR as the President. What intrigue power exercise?
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Donald J Gnanakone / April 27, 2012
Lying MOD and Army. However, General Fonseka knows who supplied the “Cluster Bombs” and Phosphorous bombs, all dropped by the Air Force. We knew of these bombs in March 2009, and have written to the US State Dept. and US embassy in Colombo, where Robert Blake was the US Ambassador at that time.There was a lot of evidence that was available. Oh by the way I have photographs of Mavil Aru killings where LTTE girls were stripped and photographed by the army. MOD sent it to me by accident. lol. I had an apology for that act from the MOD and they blamed it on some outsider. I questioned the MOD, who had access to the MOD email!!! They went silent. I will publish the photos… which anyway is with the US and Delhi 6 years ago.Damn lying thieves. Hey Max, you are quiet these days??? Have you gone for a “White Van” ride or Grease Yakka duty for the MOD????
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Max Silva / April 28, 2012
It is always good to give a counter statement to a statement, especially if you are blamed.
Whether it helps to convince people it is a different question.
30 years of war, a very long period, some could get different ideas to win the war than Geneva Convention prescribes. I understand you, but the effected were civilians.
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