31 August, 2007 - Published 14:57 GMT

'Secret agenda' against Sri Lanka

An 'invisible hand' is working on a secret agenda to tarnish the good name of Sri Lanka, the chairman of a powerful Presidential Commission said.

Mahanama Thilakeratne, chairman of the Commission to investigate killings, disappearances, abductions and unidentified dead bodies said many who were reported disappeared have come back to their relatives unnoticed.

"I urge those involved in publicising these events to come to Sri Lanka and seek correct information from the police," he told journalists in Colombo.

500 'confirmed' disappearances

It was police who provided information to the Commission, the chairman said, and they could not provide different information to the human rights activists.

Over 500 disappearances were confirmed since 13 September 2006, the Commission chairman admitted.

He did not deny that many killings and abductions occurred during that period.

"Currently there is an undeclared war-like situation in Sri Lanka. Incidents such as killings are a normal occurrence in a country at war," Justice Mahanama Thilakeratne said.

The Commission said it will produce a report on disapperances within a few months.