Saturday, March 15, 2008

How accurate is the Human Rights Report on Sri Lanka?

The Human Rights Watch report has as promised generated vast appeal. Its report titled “Recurring Nightmare – State responsibility for “disappearances” & abductions in Sri Lanka brought with it several other avalanches as well. It was only to be expected.

Having gone through the 498 cases of “abductions / missing” highlighted, there were a few questions that came to mind – would a 5 year old & an 8 year old be involved in terrorist activity to be “abducted” by the Sri Lankan Army & taken for questioning? Most unlikely, but then didn’t the UN file many reports exposing the LTTE of recruiting child soldiers – but reports apart, very little has been done to curb the LTTE’s child recruitment?

Then there were also 20 other such cases of names & it was most surprising that their families didn’t know how old they were (report says “age unknown”). Does this not raise more than a few eyebrows & question the credibility of the said document which should have no faults whatsoever if it is seeking to accuse a State Government & its army of targeted abductions & disappearances?

Read more,
http://www.sinhalaya.com/news/english/wmview.php?ArtID=14975

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