Colombo: Colombo: For the first time Sri Lanka today admitted that
civilian deaths did occur during the final phase of the country's
three decade-long civil war against Tamil rebels. To add insult to
the injury, it even went on saying that it was "impossible" to avoid
deaths in a military campaign against a ruthless opponent.
The Lankan government's acceptance came in a latest report released
here by the country's powerful Defence Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa, after dismissing for months a UN report that there
had been civilian deaths in the war.
"The government of Sri Lanka made every effort to
protect civilians in the conflict zone through the creation of
safe corridors and no-fire zones by adhering to a zero
civilian casualty policy that had been conveyed to all troops
through repeated training and operational orders," said the
report titled "Humanitarian Operation: Factual Analysis".
"Despite the clear intent of the government of Sri
Lanka and the numerous precautions taken, it was impossible in
the battle of this magnitude, against a ruthless opponent
actively endangering civilians, for civilian casualties to be
avoided," said the report.
The report, however, was mum on how many civilians may
have been killed during the civil war that ended with the
killing of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran in May 2009.
levelled in the UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon's advisory
panel report, Gotabhaya said, "Why should the government,
which directly looked after the family of LTTE leaders, kill
those who surrendered to the military?"
civilian deaths did occur during the final phase of the country's
three decade-long civil war against Tamil rebels. To add insult to
the injury, it even went on saying that it was "impossible" to avoid
deaths in a military campaign against a ruthless opponent.
The Lankan government's acceptance came in a latest report released
here by the country's powerful Defence Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa, after dismissing for months a UN report that there
had been civilian deaths in the war.
"The government of Sri Lanka made every effort to
protect civilians in the conflict zone through the creation of
safe corridors and no-fire zones by adhering to a zero
civilian casualty policy that had been conveyed to all troops
through repeated training and operational orders," said the
report titled "Humanitarian Operation: Factual Analysis".
"Despite the clear intent of the government of Sri
Lanka and the numerous precautions taken, it was impossible in
the battle of this magnitude, against a ruthless opponent
actively endangering civilians, for civilian casualties to be
avoided," said the report.
The report, however, was mum on how many civilians may
have been killed during the civil war that ended with the
killing of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran in May 2009.
levelled in the UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon's advisory
panel report, Gotabhaya said, "Why should the government,
which directly looked after the family of LTTE leaders, kill
those who surrendered to the military?"
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