To the Canard of Ananda Vikatan – A rebuttal by Asian Tribune

Reference to the news story-- "From LTTE cadre to sex worker—Plight of a Sri Lankan Tamil woman"—published in these columns on Nov 4, Asian Tribune, but after checking the veracity of the interview, found many inaccuracies.

The original Tamil Language interview appeared in Ananda Vikatan, a Tamil Language Weekly published from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Asian Tribun has no mala fide intentions in publishing the English translation of the original Tamil article published by the Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan. The intentation of publishing was to expose the disinformation and misinformation campaign launched by the LTTE to discredit the Sri Lankan armed forces and politicians of the Country.

In fact Ananda Vikatan in the name of protecting the privacy of the woman interviewed, no reference was made as to where was she located, her present age and proof of her allegations. How could she identify “ministers” among the rapists while being ravished by many army personnel is not clear?

Asian Tribune was very closely in contact with the Sri Lanka Security Forces since 205 November till the conclusion of the terrorist conflict - the humanitarian operation in May 2009.

Though Asian Tribune did not personally approved Sarath Fonseka, the former Army Commander contesting for Presidency, but we are fully aware that he very strictly maintained discipline of his men and there was no chance for any army personnel under his command to be involved in any act of rape and go unpunished

Furthermore, I knew very well that Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa saw that neither any Minister nor Parliamentarian visited any welfare centres, interrogation centres or rehabilitation centres and Ananda Vikatan coming up with rape by Minister is an allegation to belittle the integrity of the Sri Lankan Government and leaders.

This so called interview by Ananda Vikatan could have been possibly timed with the Universal Periodic Review hearing in Geneva of allegations of right abuse during the end of war with the LTTE made by remnants of LTTE spread across Europe.

Subsequently, Asian Tribune embarked on an investigation and found that the story of rape and prostitution never took place. To discredit the Sri Lankan and Indian governments and their security forces, the LTTE had a practice of saying that Tamil women were raped.

The best known of this was the claim that Dhanu, the LTTE cadre who assassinated Rajiv Gandhi was raped.

Asia Tribune investigation reveals that the LTTE is paying money to Tamil women to state that they were raped and witnessed rape, torture and killings - A convenient story line.

The interview published in the Ananda Vikatan - an elegy , lamentation by some women who were brought in a funeral house to beat their breast and wail dirges. Similarly, LTTE offices in the UK, Canada and Chennai have been paying women to wail loud dirges of rape stories.

Though the trauma of the victim in the Ananda Vikatan interview was fictitious, unsubstantiated, flawed and was probably cooked up to appeal to the sentiments of Tamil Eelam sympathizers.

In conclusion, Asian Tribune demands Ananda Vikatan to publish the original name of the Tamil woman they say that they have interviewed so that Asian Tribune is prepared to interview the same women to bring the truth to the world.

Will Ananda Vikatan come up with the true name?

The ball is now in the Vikatan’s court.

Further more If there is a factual rebuttal by anyone who could shed light on this woman and the interview appeared in the Ananda Vikatan , then Asian Tribune will publish it without any reservation.

K.T. Rajasingham,
Editor.
Asian Tribune.

- Asan Tribune -