Defence website blasts "BBC Sinhala Service"
World Food Program (WFP) country director for Sri Lanka, Mr. Adnan Khan today (Dec 10) apologised to the Sri Lankan government over a story filed by the BBC Sinhala service quoting a WFP official, John Cambell, who said IDPs in Sri Lanka live in conditions similar to those in Somalia.
Mr. Khan meeting with Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa today at the Defence Ministry treated with disdain this diabolical lie disseminated by the BBC Sinhala Service and said he would launch a special inquiry to the matter, according to the Ministry website, www.defence.lk. He has also said that the WFP would issue an official statement clarifying the facts in the near future."Somalia has been without an effective central government since President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Years of fighting in the African nation between rival warlords and an inability to deal with famine and disease have led to the deaths of up to one million people", says the BBC story.
The Defence Ministry calls this an abominable attempt by the BBC Sinhala Service to mislead its intended audience that Sri Lanka too has identical conditions.
The website observes further: "The truth that is deliberately concealed by the BBC Sinhala service is that the sufferings of the civilians are artificially created by the LTTE terrorists to win international sympathy for their cause. In reality, these IDPs are the human shield held by the terrorists for the safety of their psychopathic chief V. Prabhakaran. The 'rebel held area" in BBC's terms is not more than a hiding place for the terrorists. All public services including health, education, transport, banks and administration are maintained by the central government. Even the terrorist chief is fed on food sent by the government. It is the medicine sent by the government that keeps his diabetes torn body alive."
The website states that responsible journalism should strive to piece together a fuller picture of the issue.
"The BBC's story on Sri Lankan IDPs has obviously been filed with vicious intent to tarnish the good image of the country and the government, without any basis in fact."
The website story also carries pictures of civilians who sought refuge with the security forces on December 9 and asks, "Do they by any means portray hapless figures of the particular country mentioned by BBC?"
Courtesy: news.lk