MPGA allege MoD cover-Up

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 December 1999, 20:26 GMT]
The Missing Persons Guardian Association (MPGA) in Jaffna have attacked a statement from the Ministry of Defence today concerning hundreds of Tamils reportedly 'missing' in the northern town.

The statement from the MoD said: "In the final analysis regarding complaints of disappearances in the Jaffna peninsula, 16 people were ascertained as dead", and "inquiries in respect of 374 commenced with available evidence, but could not proceed due to inadequacy of such evidence".

"There was no evidence at all in respect of 174, even to commence inquiries," the statement further said.

The president of the MPGA, Mr S. Selvarajah, commenting on the MoD statement said "the Ministry of Defence is concealing the truth."

He said the organisation gave details of the 21 persons from Thenmaradchi, who 'disappeared' in one day, and of the details of the Sri Lanka Army soldiers involved in the incident.

"But no inquiries were held in to this incident," he added.

He said those who have been declared dead are those skeletons were recovered at Chemmani.

He said the ministry should acknowledge the truth and conduct fair investigations, and added the organisation will continue with its protests until the truth is found.

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