The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has categorically dismissed the findings of the first phase of the inquiry into the allegations against the Army as meaningless charging that the Army has used the six-member panel to hide the accusations that surfaced against it in the final stage of the war in Vanni in 2009.
TNA Spokesperson and Jaffna District Parliamentarian, Suresh Premachandran, said the inquiry was conducted by the Army to investigate into the accusations that surfaced against itself. Therefore, it was very clear the proceedings of the inquiry would be one-sided.
“An earlier report, released by the Army a couple of months ago, following its inquiry into the missing people, said there were no missing people. Whereas the LLRC has indicated that it had received complaints from more than 3,000 people on missing persons.
“The special panel appointed by the UN Secretary General and even the independent findings by various institutions along with the findings of Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph has indicated a large number of people have been killed.
“The TNA is not trying to defend the LTTE, but what we want to mention is that from the first-hand information, the TNA and other institutions such as the LLRC, which is appointed by the government, have received enough evidence to prove the Army’s alleged involvement in war crimes.
“Therefore, the latest inquiry and the report on the outcome of it may satisfy the people who had initiated it, but not the people who seek justice. The latest report and its findings were based mainly on the evidence obtained from the ground commanders and the others serving as part of the security forces in the war-torn areas. The inquiry was somewhat like the accused had conducted his own inquiry into the accusations against him.
“What the victims of the war want is an impartial inquiry into the losses – both the killings and the disappearances. Unless an impartial inquiry by an independent body is conducted over the allegations against the Army whatever report that is brought out will be considered as absolute rubbish,” Premachandran said.