Lanka dismisses US allegations against security forces

Sri Lanka today dismissed as "baseless" US allegations that its security forces were intimidating and harassing individuals appearing before a government-appointed disappearances commission.
The Sri Lankan military, irked by a statement attributed to an unnamed US embassy official here, accused American diplomats of acting in support of the pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora.
The diplomat had said there were, "numerous reports of widespread threats and intimidation by security forces against witnesses and potential witnesses to the Commission".
"While welcoming the extended mandate of the Commission, a US embassy official had made baseless allegations against the security forces of intimidating and harassing individuals," military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya said.

"We have to ask the question if this is meant to help the Tamil diaspora".
Wanigasuriya said the mandate of the disappearances panel was extended by the Sri Lankan President to include allegations of war crimes against Lankan troops during the three-decade conflict with the LTTE.

"The sweeping allegations made by these officials therein, are baseless," said Wanigasuriya.
He said the president has brought in three international panelists to advise the commission. The members of the panel Desmonde Silva and Nice are from Britain while David Crane is a US national.
The disappearances commission was set up by Rajapaksa in August 2013 and mandated to probe all disappearances of individuals between 1990 to May 2009.

The panel has so far entertained nearly 19,000 complaints of disappearances of individuals which include both the LTTE militants and members of the government troops.
The commission's mandate was later extended to cover the period of the Indian Peace Keeping operation between 1987 and 1990.