Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had instructed the armed forces to carryout the Wanni humanitarian mission with minimum human casualties, Major General Shavendra Silva expressed before the High Court today.


The civilians and L.T.T.E cadres who handed them selves over to the army in the Wanni missions were not fired upon, he said in response to questions by the Government Deputy Solicitor General Navaratna Bandara.


The Defence Secretary had ordered that the persons who handed them selves over be humanely treated, therefore they were ushered to appropriate places after being provided with bottles of water and medical treatment, the Major General explained.


Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva who appeared before court as a witness to the ‘White Flag’ case today said that he had no personal grudge against Sarath Fonseka who was the Army Commander at the time of the Wanni humanitarian mission.


When the government attorney queried whether people carrying white flags had handed them selves over in the final stages of the Wanni mission, the Major General answered saying that several groups with and without white flags, some even raising both their hands came forward to hand them selves over and they were taken in by the security forces.


The three member judge panel headed by Deepali Wijesundara adjudicated that further evidence will be recorded tomorrow (16 November).