Thaindian News

Colombo, Apr 26 (ANI): A United Nations (UN) report has revealed that widespread shelling by the Sri Lankan government had killed most of the tens of thousands of civilians across the country during the final phase of 25-year-old long war, in 2009.

It also highlighted a brutal image of the final offensive on the Tamil enclave in northern Sri Lanka between January and May 2009, adding that hospitals, UN centres and ships belonging to international aid group the Red Cross were deliberately shelled by government forces, the BBC reports.

Besides, it also said that several prisoners were shot in the head and women raped.

Tamil Tigers separatists (LTTE) had also reportedly used 330,000 civilians as human shields, and shot those who tried to escape.

The UN has been demanding for an independent probe into what it says could constitute war crimes.

After denying all allegations, the government however, branding the report’s findings as biased and fraudulent.

The UN experts are of the opinion that if the allegations are proven right, this would lead to serious violations of international humanitarian law, international rights law, and crimes against humanity.

The report has been designed following ten months of investigation, but the publication was delayed as Sri Lanka urged the secretary general not to publish its findings.

“The decision to release the report was made as a matter of transparency and in the broader public interest,” the secretary general’s spokesperson said in a statement.

He said a copy of the report had been made available “in its entirety” to the government of Sri Lanka on April 12. (ANI)