LTTE fabricated videos to gain propaganda advantage: ex-rebel

Colombo, Mar 19: The Tamil Tigers fabricated video footage to demonise Sri Lankan military and distributed them among international media to gain propaganda advantage, the now defunct LTTE's former media co-ordinator has claimed.

Velayudam Dayanidhi alias Daya Master told state-owned ITN television that fabricated footage produced in 2002 during the ceasefire with the army was distributed internationally. "The footage used by Channel 4 are those fabricated footage issued by the LTTE," Daya Master said.

The British Channel 4 television telecast video footage titled 'Sri Lanka killing fields 1 and 2' and 'Sri Lanka killing fields - war crimes unpunished' which it alleged carry incriminating evidence of war crimes committed by Lankan troops. The government has dismissed the Channel 4 videos as fabrications.

On the allegation of LTTE chief V Prabakaran's 12-year- old son Balachandran's killing by army in the latest Channel 4 video, Daya Master said Balachandran was under tight protection of LTTE guards and he may have been shot by LTTE guards when tried to flee. The government has accused the Channel 4 of running a smear campaign against Sri Lanka to coincide with the on going UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva.

PTI