No offence committed by either LTTE or Forces leadership, only underlings are to blame: Maxwel Paranagama
Meeting media men at the end of the first day’s inquiries the chairman of the President’s Commission for inquiry into missing persons, Maxwel Paranagama stated that, No offence was committed by the leaderships of either LTTE or Security Forces but people under them committed offences. They will be found out and punished. A list of people connected to “White Flag Affair” had been submitted to the President.
He further said that, the LTTEers engaged in war for a cause. Forces personnel fought for the orders given to them. Both sides did not act with an objective of killing anybody. They also did not act with a view of revenging the other side.
The Channel 4 video’s reliability should be checked, he commented.
When the Media men asked what action is to be taken against persons and organizations named as offenders by the complainants to the Commission , he said that, the complaints against them will be inquired after the commission completes its inquiries, on a different approach than the normal legal procedures and guilty will be punished.
When the media men stated that most of the LTTE is dead and the remained members were jailed and punished and in this context you should be punishing the other side, he said that this is a political problem, we can only look into humanitarian matters.
Journalists face threats from intelligence units, says MP, Saravanapavan in Parliament.
Even after the regime change, the journalists of the North are followed by state intelligence men, they are monitored.Many journalists are being threatened. They are threatening indirectly and by unidentified armed groups is continuing.
The denial of media freedom is undertaken in a subtle way. For example, two intelligence men came into the meeting regarding missing persons held at Veerasingam Hall, registering themselves as journalist in the register kept out side, photographed all participants and videoed all events secretly, he said.
He also called up the government to protect the media freedom.
