COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - The Sri Lankan government on Thursday accused a Tamil relief agency of failing to help investigate the alleged disappearance of eight Tamil relief workers.
"The investigation by our CID is raising more questions than answers" Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera told a news conference, referring to Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Division.
The issue of the alleged abductions or missing workers has worsened tensions on this tropical island nation, where the government is trying to resume peace talks with the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels to avoid return of a civil war.
On Wednesday, a relief agency affiliated with Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said five of its staff had disappeared while traveling to a tsunami reconstruction project. Police said they would investigate, but questioned the group's previous claim that five other workers had been kidnapped two days earlier.
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization said the alleged disappearances showed "a campaign of terror has been unleashed" on its personnel.
After the group reported the kidnapping of five of its workers on Monday, the Tamil Tigers threatened to pull out of upcoming peace talks unless the government does more to protect Tamils.
However, an investigation ordered by the country's top police officer, Inspector General Chandra Fernando, into the alleged disappearance on Monday indicated the claim was untrue, police spokesman Rienzie Perera said.
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