Sri Lanka rejects gory Tamil massacre pics as rebel propoganda

Colombo, Oct 20 (ANI): Sri Lanka's foreign minister GL Peiris has cast doubt on the photographs released by the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) showing a massacre of Tamils during the country's civil war, saying that it is a step taken by rebel sympathisers to tarnish the country's image.

GTF, a group that includes former supporters of the Tamil Tiger rebels, has released photographs showing blood stained bodies of young men and women who had been blindfolded and had their hands tied behind their backs. Other photos appear to show dead young men, two of whom lie in pits.

According to the BBC, the release has come at a time when Peiris is scheduled to meet his British counterpart William Hague on Wednesday.

While addressing the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, Peiris said that similar pictures of unproven veracity had been published before by the LTTE sympathisers. He also labelled the human rights groups as "patronising, condescending and almost colonial" for criticising a government-appointed inquiry into claims of war crimes.

Hundreds of Pro-Tamil protesters gathered outside the building as he gave his speech, the report said.

The GTF said these photographs had been passed to them by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam (LTTE) intelligence official who said had acquired them from within the Sri Lankan Army.

Earlier, Father SJ Emmanuel, president of the GTF, had urged for an independent inquiry and added: "If government of Sri Lanka has nothing to hide, why wouldn't they at least now admit to allowing the UN to investigate?"

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has urged British Foreign Secretary William Hague to demand an independent international investigation into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka during the meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart, the report added. (ANI)