Sri Lanka on Thursday said it had “nothing to hide” as it began compiling a death toll from its war against Tamil separatists, AFP reported today.

“The government has nothing to hide,” Public Administration Ministry Secretary P.B. Abeykoon told a press conference on Thursday. “A lot of people have come out with various accusations with their own figures. We will come out with the real facts,” he added.

The president announced the start of the census on his website in a brief statement on Wednesday evening. The statement said the department of census and statistics would conduct what it called an “island-wide census to assess the loss of human life and damage to property”, adding that work would begin on 28 November, the AFP said

Asked about the claims of 40,000 civilian deaths, Abeykoon said the census showed the government’s determination to seek the truth. “Why should we go for a census if we have anything to hide? We are trying to get a clear picture for ourselves,” he said.

D.C.A. Gunawardena, the head of the census department, told reporters that his teams would try to determine the numbers of dead, missing, or maimed by the conflict as well as the extent of property damage. “The public will be asked to substantiate the claims of deaths, missing and property damage,” he said at the launch alongside Abeykoon.

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)