The Missing Persons Commission, also known as the ‘Paranagama Commission’ says the figure of 40,000 civilians killed during the final weeks of the war is a myth.
A statement signed by the Chairman of the Commission, Maxwell Paranagama, said that the issue of how many people were killed has been raised once again by Channel 4 presenter John Snow during a recent visit to Sri Lanka.
The Commission says it has dealt extensively with the issue and all available figures makes the allegation of 40,000 civilians killed a myth.
The Missing Persons Commission claims that a no-fire zone never existed during the war as the LTTE never agreed to a no-fire zone so the allegation that the army fired into a no-fire zone is baseless.
The Commission also said that it will provide details to the families of those reported missing during the war based on the outcome of the investigations conducted by a special investigations team.
It said that investigations have also found that some former Tamil Tiger members who were reported as being missing after they surrendered to the army, are now living in a foreign country.
The Missing Persons Commission meanwhile said that it was awaiting confirmation from the Presidential Secretariat on the next public sitting.
There have been reports the Government may not extend the mandate of the Commission from next month. (Colombo Gazette)
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