Sri Lanka: LTTE's massacre of schoolchildren

Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told a press conference (Feb 13) that fourteen schoolchildren were killed by the LTTE since January 02.

On February 02, the bomb explosion by the LTTE suicide cadre killed mine school children, 07 students of D.S Senanayake Vidyalaya and 02 from other schools. On January 02 children were killed at the explosion near the Nippon Hotel in Colombo. At the Nugegoda bomb explosion also 02 school children died. Yesterday a 14 – year old boy was killed by LTTE fire at Akkaraipattu, the Defence Spokesman added.

The Defence Spokesman expressed his dismay at the silence of so-called Human Rights organizations functioning here and abroad about the cold blooded killing of innocent children. He charged that such organizations failed to issue, at least, a statement condemning or deploring the terrorist acts that caused the death of children. These organizations are totally biased and also are acting to realize a hidden agenda the Defence Spokesmen charged. He also said that they may be probably acting in such a manner for various considerations. In contrast these organizations had accused the government earlier for certain incidents while the investigations were going on,

The school children who were killed belonged to all the three commentaries Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim. This proves that LTTE has no regard for race or community. The parents of the victims have expressed their disgust over the tragedy and urged the government to continue the operation to eliminate terrorism the Hon. Minster revealed.

The majority of the school children who were killed being Sinhala the terrorists had expected a backlash but being aware of the tactics of the LTTE the general public acted wisely the Hon. Minister said.

Source: Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka