Gaddafi killing and white flag case 'similar'

A rebel fighter told the BBC he found the former Libyan leader hiding in a drainage pipe and he had begged him not to shoot.

Gaddafi was killed by NATO-funded rebel fighters in Libya.

(COLOMBO) - There seems to be similarities between the killing of former Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi and Sri Lanka’s ‘white flag case’, says Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Sri Lanka forces are accused of executing surrendering LTTE leaders including B Nadesan

Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said Col Gaddafi had been shot in the head in an exchange of fire between Gaddafi loyalists and NTC fighters following his capture in his hometown of Sirte.

“It is not so different from the allegations of the white flag incident in Sri Lanka where LTTE leaders and their families allegedly tried to surrender and allegedly were executed,” Asia director of HRW, Brad Adams told BBC Sinhala service.

Following calls from UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillai for an investigation into the death of Col Gaddafi, the HRW also calls for an urgent probe.

Everybody including Col Gaddafi and LTTE leaders, "no matter how heinous they are and no matter how many people they killed themselves", said Mr Adams, has a right to be “treated properly”.

'War crime?'

“Col Gaddafi had just as much right to be treated properly as anybody else,” said Brad Adams.

It is too early to describe the killing as a war crime as details are still coming in, he said, but added that “it could be a war crime.”

“There needs to be a very serious investigation into what actually happened, who killed him, under what circumstances, was it a local decision, whether somebody ordered to kill him, etc,” Mr Adams told BBC Sandeshaya.

Officials have denied Col Gaddafi was executed after being captured on Thursday.

Video footage suggests he was dragged through the streets.

A rebel fighter told the BBC he found the former Libyan leader hiding in a drainage pipe and he had begged him not to shoot.

Sri Lanka security forces were also accused of executing senior Tamil Tiger leaders who tried to surrender with white flags at the last stages of the conflict.

The government of Sri Lanka has continuously denied the accusation.

BBC Sandeshaya could not contact Sri Lanka government spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella despite repeated attempts.

Originally published here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2011/10/111021_gaddafi_hrw.shtml