Colombo: The government on day denied
visas to staffers of Dubai-based Aljazeera television after it
broadcast new grisly photos of LTTE cadres allegedly killed by
Sri Lankan Army during the final stages of the nearly three
decades ethnic conflict in 2009.
The government had rejected the visa applications of
the news crew of Al-Jazeera, Bandula Jayasekera, Foreign
Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror
newspaper today.
However, he declined to give reasons for the rejection
of the visas.
The channel had broadcast grisly photos of LTTE
cadres allegedly killed by the army during the last phase of
the civil war that came to an end in May last year.
The government rejected these photographs with Media
Minister Keheliya Rabukwella saying the images were nothing
new but a repeat telecast of the channel-4 video footage.
Issuing a press release the Media Centre for National
Security (MCNS) said, "By these campaigns pro-LTTE elements
are in an attempt to tarnishing the image of the security
forces and the government of Sri Lanka."
The MCNS said, "It is a similar kind of attempt with
an aim of tarnishing the image of the valiant government
troops as well as deteriorating the process of the Lesson
Learnt & Reconciliation Commission (LLRC)".
PTI
