COLOMBO, 13/01/07 - Angry Sri Lankans have attacked the office of the Dutch relief organisation ZOA Refugee Care. They besieged the building following allegations that the organisation supports the Tamil Tigers (LTTE).

The Christian relief organisation ZAO has an office in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. Dozens of insurgents Thursday invaded the office, taking pictures of the staff and putting them on the internet, and demanding that the organisation withdraw from Sri Lanka within 24 hours.

The commotion arose after the Sri Lankan army revealed that ZOA run a hospital in an LTTE rebel camp. The country's Defence Ministry subsequently announced it would make the organisation leave the country should it transpire that ZAO had really supported the Tamil Tigers.

On Friday, the Dutch organisation reacted by denying the accusations. According to spokesperson Otto Kamsteeg, material bearing the ZAO logo had probably been stolen and surfaced in LTTE circles. He stated the authorities had meanwhile withdrawn the accusations and promised to rectify the "rumours" officially.

The Dutch Ambassador in Colombo Reynout van Dijk confirmed that the problem has been resolved. The authorities informed him that the accusations were based on "poor communication".