Al Jazeera denied visa

12 November 2010 04:39 pm

The Government rejected the visa applications of the news crew of the international news network Al-Jazeera attempting to enter the country. The Foreign Ministry confirmed that the visa applications of the news crew were rejected but declined to give reasons.

Public communications Director General and Foreign Ministry spokesman Bandula Jayasekera told Daily Mirror that the government had rejected the visa applications of the news crew but declined to give reasons for the visa denial.

On Wednesday Al-Jazeera telecast photographs showing piles of bodies of those allegedly executed during the final stages of the war in the North.

The government rejected these photographs with Media Minister Keheliya Rabukwella saying the images were nothing new but a repeat telecast of the channel-4 video footage.

The government has questioned the authenticity of these photographs obtained from a number of unverified sources, depicting war crimes and torture during the final stages of the war. The government claimed that hese were malicious attempts to discredit the victory of the Sri Lankan forces. (DS)