Sri Lanka: Who is Producing Statistics on Rape?

Major General Shavindra replies to allegations

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Permanant Representative to the UN Major General Shavendra Silva. hirunews.lk

(COLOMBO Hiro News) - Sri Lanka’s Deputy Permanant Representative to the UN Major General Shavendra Silva replied to allegations raised against the Army over sexual assaults in the North through UN Reports.

Major General Shavendra Silva stated that the Government of Sri Lanka has implemented a firm policy on sexual violence and has taken firm action against reported cases of violence against women during the conflict and the post-conflict period.

During the conflict period January 2007 to May 2009, 7 Security Forces personnel were reported as havingbeen involved in 5 incidents of sexual violence in the Northern Province.

This was out of a total of 125 persons accused in 119 incidents for the entirety of the Northern Province.

Major General Shavendra Silva also stated that the involvement of Security Forces personnel as a percentage of the total accused stands at 5.6% in the conflict period and 3.3% in the post- conflict period and stated that any allegations supported by credible evidence will be dealt with firmly by the authorities.

Legal action has been taken by the Government in all of the above mentioned cases in which the Sri Lankan Security Forces personnel have been involved.

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Permanant Representative to the UN Major General Shavendra Silva further stated that certain organisations are involved in propagating false reports of sexual violence against the Sri Lankan military.

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