Amnesty, ICRC condemn Kandy bomb

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have condemned Sunday's bomb explosion at the Dalada Maligawa.

Amnesty International said it "concerned that the attack flouts the principle of distinction set out in international humanitarian standards which govern the conduct of hostilities. According to this principle, armed forces of all sides to a conflict must at all times distinguish between civilian and military targets and must not target civilians".

The Sri Lankan police blame the Liberation Tigers for the attack which has disrupted preparations for the Independence day celebrations being planned for February 4th. The LTTE has not commented on the matter as yet.

Amnesty said it had written to the LTTE and "reiterated its call to the LTTE to ensure that its forces abide by basic principles of international humanitarian law."

The statement issued by the ICRC in Geneva said that the attack "constitutes a serious violation of the rules of international humanitarian law" and that the organisation "strongly condemns this deliberate attack on civilians and a place of worship."