A five-member team of doctors who worked inside the shrinking rebel-held territory during the final stages of the war have been in detention since May, but were brought before reporters for the first time Wednesday.
The government has accused them of putting out propaganda for the now-defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but the United Nations and the International Red Cross relied heavily on them to coordinate relief.
"The LTTE forced us to give figures (to the media)," doctor Thurairaja Varatharajah said at the government's Media Centre for National Security auditorium. "Figures were exaggerated due to LTTE pressure.
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He said they were forced to comply because they were in an LTTE-controlled area. "We had to do what the LTTE told us," he said.
"Now, we are free from any pressure. We can say the truth," Varatharajah said when asked if they were now under any influence from authorities regarding death tolls.
Varatharajah said between 350 and 400 civilians were k