posted December 30, 2001 10:03 AM            

If they are guilty, I don't have a problem of hanging them in public.

posted December 30, 2001 05:46 PM            

They should be brought to La Hague for justice and be placed next to Slobdam Milosevic. There is no difference between that Murderer and these murderers.

Two 'Dutta Gemunu' sons of Butcher Ratwatte should be handed over to one of the Muslim Butcher Shops in Kandy to cut them into pieces and deliver to the whole Muslim Community Community.

PS:

posted December 30, 2001 11:25 PM            

Who is wrong.

posted December 31, 2001 12:32 PM            

PRESS RELEASE
28 April 2000
Ilankai Tamil Sangam is gravely concerned at the appointment of Major General Janaka Perera (20 April 2000), as the overall Operational Commander for the Jaffna peninsula and Joint Chief of [Army] Operations.

Despite the BBC reference to him as “one of Sri Lanka’s most decorated war heroes”, this Major General’s war crimes record is one of the worst in the island.

Sri Lanka has been cited again this year by the UN as having the second highest number of unresolved disappearances in the world. Major General Janaka Perera has been implicated in most of these disappearances. He has also been implicated in ethnic cleansing, shelling of civilian areas and torture.

The Sangam is concerned that civilians in the Jaffna peninsula are at grave risk of being the victims of further war crimes, particularly in a situation where the Sri Lankan Army is in retreat. Half a million civilians live in an area of only 1,000 square miles, bound on all sides by water. We are concerned that the Army, particularly under Perera’s command, will use civilians as human shields and, in addition, vent their frustration from their military losses on civilians as they have on innumerable previous occasions during this war.

Background: After the Riviresa operation (1996), the newly captured Jaffna peninsula came under the control of Brigadier Sri Lal Weerasuriya, today the head of the Sri Lankan Army. Under his command, the Jaffna peninsula was divided into two regions. Brigadiers Janaka Perera and Karunatilake functioned as commanding officers of these two regions.

Brigadier Janaka Perera was in charge of the area where nearly a thousand Tamil civilians disappeared (Amnesty International confirmed 600), many of whom are believed to be buried in mass graves in an area called Chemmani. According to witnesses, the murders were committed in different army camps in the vicinity and the bodies brought in truckloads to be buried in Chemmani.

It has been repeatedly pointed out that such large numbers could not have been killed and buried without the knowledge of the commanding officer. In fact several soldiers who participated in the burials have said as much.

The Sri Lankan government, soon after Brigadier Perera’s stint in Jaffna in 1996, rewarded him with a promotion to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Army.

Brigadier Perera has also been accused of being responsible for several of the mass killings in the south Sri Lanka. Major General Perera is said to have been in the list of 200 members of the Sri Lankan army slated to be fired by the newly elected President Kumaratunge (1995), for their role in the southern killings. President Kumaratunge was elected on a campaign promise to render restitution for these human rights violations. It is alleged that this plan was withdrawn at the urging of the Deputy Defense Minister Anuraddha Ratwatte, on the grounds that it would have had an adverse effect on the armed services’ morale.

In the mid-1980s, when he was stationed in the Manal Aru area in the Tamil homelands, Perera is credited with the wholesale uprooting of Tamil villages and with mass murder to facilitate Sinhalese settlements. In this ethnic cleansing exercise, thousands of Tamil homes were bulldozed and hundreds of villagers were massacred to make the rest flee in fear. Major General Perera is also an egomaiac, who even had a village renamed after him (the village Mankindimalai became Janaka Pura during this exercise).

posted December 31, 2001 12:37 PM            

By V.Thangavelu

The brutal gang rape and gruesome murder of Krishanti Kumaraswamy and her mother, brother and a neighbour on September 7, 1996 by the Sri Lankan army soldiers and policemen shocked the conscience of the civilized world. Although crimes like rape and murder committed against unarmed defenseless Tamil civilians have become common place in the North and East, the naked barbarism displayed by the rapists and killers in this instance surpassed all previous crime records.

Background
Krishanthi was aged sweet sixteen plus two years at the time of her murder. She was an Advanced Level student of the prestigious Chundikuli Girls College having earlier passed the Ordinary Level exam with seven distinctions. On that fateful day she went to college to write her chemistry paper. Her mother Rasamma Kumaraswamy (59) was the Vice-Principal of Maha Vidyalayam in Kaithady. Her brother Pranavan (16) was an O/L student at St.Johns College, Jaffna. Her elder sister Prashanti (21) has just moved to Colombo to pursue her studies in Accountancy. Krishanti’s father Kumaraswamy had died of cancer a few years back.

Day with Death
After writing her exam, she visited the funeral home of one her friend who died the previous day knocked down by a military truck. She then cycled back home. At Kaithady Army checkpoint, one of the hundreds dotting the landscape of Jaffna peninsula, Krishanti was detained by the army and police personnel on duty. The time was about 2 p.m. and fortunately a few passersby saw Krishanti taken into custody by the military personnel. They relayed the bad news to her mother Rasamma, who like every other mothers in Jaffna, was nervously waiting for her daughter’s safe return from school. Rasamma, in whose mind nightmarish scenes would have razed through instantly on hearing the bad tidings, decided to go in search of her missing daughter. Her son Pranavan and a neighbour Kirupamoorthy Sithamparam (32) who got married just six months earlier accompanied her. They did not suspect that their ill-fated journey was not only futile but she, her son and neighbour would be strangled, cut into pieces and buried in a little hut within the gates of the army camp the very same day.

The whereabouts of Krishanti and the other three remained a mystery and the army flatly denied any knowledge about the missing persons despite pressure brought to bear by the family’s immediate relatives, Tamil politicians and human rights organizations.

Dead Bodies Exhumed
After 45 days by sheer accident the dead bodies of all the four missing persons were found in crudely dug graves at Chemmani. The highly decomposed bodies were exhumed and flown in two coffins for burial in Colombo. A stubborn and insensitive government denied Prashanthi and close relatives of the family the right to mourn over the dead or perform last rites. To add insult to injury an ultimatum was given to the family by the army higher-ups that the bodies should be cremated within two hours!

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations like Women for Peace launched a sustained campaign to pressurise the Sri Lankan government to arrest and bring to justice the rapists and murderers of Krishanti and her family.

License to Rape and Kill
In the past, flagrant human rights abuses have been swept under the carpet by successive Sinhalese dominated governments and top brasses of the armed forces and police. The unwritten rule was that in the name of fighting a war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, security personnel enjoyed a carte blanche license to kill, rape, torture, and maim Tamil civilians. In fact these were effectively used as weapons to terrorise, oppress and subjugate Tamil civilians.

According to the Amnesty International:

“For too long the security forces have been literally allowed to get away with murder and a climate of impunity existed at all levels in regard to grave human rights violations committed by them.”

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in its report for 1995 said,

“Sri Lanka ranked second highest in the world total number of recorded `disappearance`.”

Added the Tamil Information Centre (TIC)

“Torture, deaths in custody, disappearances are wide spread in Sri Lanka. A number of women and children have `disappeared` after being taken by security forces in the Tamil areas. Tamils continued to be held in secret places of detention especially in the Jafffna peninsula, Colombo, and Vavunia.”

Gang Rape of Krishanti
Though sentence of death on six accused persons, out of the nine originally charged, with rape, murder and abduction have been welcomed by local and international human rights organizations and activists, there are doubts as to whether this marks an end to the climate of impunity in Sri Lanka. Also whether this is not a feeble attempt on the part of the Sri Lankan government to wash its sins and polish its image abroad also linger.

During the course of the trial two policemen who turned crown witnesses gave graphic account of the last dying hours of Krishanti. According to their evidence, the army and police personnel pounced on their prey like hungry animals to satisfy their carnal passions. Krishanti fainted and collapsed unconscious when these sex maniacs in khaki uniform raped her in a row. On gaining consciousness the poor girl asked for some water to drink. Thereafter when the sixth rapist was about to take his turn Krishanti pleaded with him. She unsuccessfully begged and pleaded with her tormentor saying, “Let me rest for five minutes.” Finally she was strangled to death and buried.

Unresolved Rapes and Murders
Unfortunately one swallow does not make a summer, nor a single tree a forest. The prosecution of the thugs in khaki uniform who abducted, raped and murdered Krishanti is an exception rather than the norm. The extraordinary publicity given to Krishanti case had taken the focus off the hundreds of unresolved rapes and murders of other young Tamil women. The cases filed against security forces personnel in the rape and murder of 22 years old Rajani Velayuthapillai of Urumpirai and Koneswary Murugesapillai, aged 35 and mother of 4 children of Central Camp at Batticaloa are moving in snail’s speed in the courts.

On March 17, 1997 two sisters, namely Velan Rasamma (38), a widow and her sister Nalliah Dharshini (28) were raped by 4 soldiers at Thannamunai, a village 6 km north of Batticaloa. A plaint has been filed against a single soldier , but the accused is out on bail.

The case against 22 Special Task Force (STF) personnel accused of strangulation and murder of 27 Tamil youths whose floating bodies were recovered from Bolgoda, Alawwa and Diyawannawa lakes is still worse. The proceedings commenced at the Chief Magistrates Court, Colombo on September 15, 1995. After four consecutive postponements, the case was struck off the roll since both the Crown prosecutors and CID officials repeatedly failed to appear in Court. The government has now stealthily dropped the case entirely and the perpetrators are back in active service!

On June 22, 1991, 67 innocent Tamil civilians were massacred by the Sinhala army at Kokkaddicholai in the Batticaloa district. A Presidential Commission that probed the massacre found only Captain Kudilegama guilty. He was dismissed from the army but two months later he was given a higher position in a state corporation by the government!

Two Different Standards of Justice…
The foot dragging and the lethargy displayed by the government in these cases is in sharp contrast to the diligence and speed with which graves in the South are excavated and how bodies of victims of 1988/89 army terror meticulously counted. So far a total of four Presidential Commissions have been appointed to probe into about 11, 000 cases of involuntary disappearances /extra-judicial killings between 1988 to 1994. But President Chandrika has brushed aside all appeal by concerned Human Rights organizations and Tamil parliamentarians to extend the terms of reference of the latest Presidential Commission to include period after 1994. This should cause no surprise since the human rights record of President Chandrika’s government is far worse than that of the UNP. During UNP rule it was a home and home match between the armed Sinhalese youths and the Sinhala armed forces. But now it is different- a Pan Sinhalese army raping and murdering innocent Tamil youths. Apparently President Chandrika has two different standards of justice system, one for the Sinhalese and one for the Tamils for identical crimes!

Mass Graves at Chemmani
In Krishanti’s rape and murder trial, the first accused Lance Cpl. Dewage Somaratne Rajapakse when asked by the court whether he has anything to say before sentencing said, “ We did not kill anyone. We only buried bodies that were sent to us by our superior officers.” He went on to drop the bombshell which even the Court could not have anticipated “We can show you where 300 to 400 bodies have been buried at Chemmani.” Other co­-accused persons corroborated the first accused statement from the dock.

Lance Cpl. Rajapakse’s statement simply confirms the report issued by Amnesty International after a fact-finding mission to Jaffna. Amnesty International in its report dated November 27, 1997 stated categorically that,

“ nearly all of them are likely to have died under torture or to have been deliberately killed by (Sri Lankan security forces)”.

Amnesty went on to state that approximately 540 people ‘disappeared’ in the Jaffna peninsula within the middle six months of 1996 alone. Over 60% of the 540 disappearances occurred in the two months after the LTTE overran the Sri Lanka’s Mullaitivu army base killing over 1,300 soldiers on July 18, 1996.

Amnesty further added, “ Hundreds of others were victims of torture at the hands of the security forces” and it has received “several reports of rape by members of the army.”

President and Ministers Keep Mum…
Thus far there has been no reaction from President Chandrika or her Ministers for the appointment of a Presidential Commission to probe into the alleged mass graves at Chemmani. Even Foreign Minister Kadirgamar who has been of late in an unholy mission to re-polish the image of the Sinhala army as a disciplined force is keeping mum. So is the leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe and other Sinhalese politicians.

Sinhala Hegemonic Rule should end…
The fate that befell Krishanti, albeit not the only one, should not be allowed to recur henceforth. The root cause of the problem is the occupation of the Tamil Homeland by the Sinhala armed forces to establish hegemonic rule of the majority Sinhalese over the Tamil people. As long as the enemy is in illegal occupation of Tamil Homeland, so long our sisters and brothers will face the same fate as Krishanti, her aged mother, brother and neighbour.

So let us resolve and re-dedicate on this Black July 83 Remembrance Week our resolve to help our country to gain political and economic freedom so that our people could live in peace and security.

“EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS THE INHERENT RIGHT TO LIFE. LAW SHALL PROTECT THIS RIGHT. NO ONE SHALL BE DEPRIVED OF HIS/HER LIFE.”

-Article 6.1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

21 June 2001

posted December 31, 2001 12:38 PM            

Will the International Criminal Tribunal prosecute the top commanders and leaders that include the Commander-in-Chief, Ministers, and the lawyers, for atrocities committed against people of Tamil ethnic origin in Sri Lanka (formerly, Ceylon), like what they did for the regime of Slobodan Milosovic.

A week ago the International Criminal Tribunal in Hague, Netherlands, established the case against people like Slobodan Milosovic, Radovan Karadjc (Serbian President), Rako Mladic (Commander of Serbian Army), Milan Milutinovic (Lawyer), Dragolijub Ojdanic (Army Commander), Nikola Sainovic (Advisor/Minister), Vlajko Staijkovic (Lawyer).

Fugitives come in different forms – they are either in hiding or they utilize the power of the government to get appointed as diplomats so that they get immunity!

There is a true account of a fugitive who went on hiding forty years ago: He is none other than Hitler’s Adolph Eichmann during World War II. He was responsible for the death of European Jewish people.

After World War II, he was a fugitive hiding in Argentina. Along with other war criminals, he escaped to Argentina where he lived and worked under another name. After a manhunt by the people of Israel and their agents, he was discovered working for a water-supply company. When the government of Argentina refused to agree to his extradition, he was abducted by Israeli agents and taken to Israel.

When David Ben-Gurion, then Prime Minister, announced that Eichmann was a prisoner in Israel, it caused sensation throughout the world and led to angry diplomatic exchanges with Argentina. The Argentine government claimed that its sovereignty had been violated, but owing to the exceptional nature of the case, the matter was resolved.

Well, the trial of Adolph Eichmann served to remind the world, youth of Jewish people in and out of Israel included, of the worst case of genocide and bestiality in human history. Rest is history. We hope every TAMIL living in every nook and corner of this earth would come forward and prosecute these evils against humanity.

posted December 31, 2001 12:38 PM            

Suspects can be detained for up to 18 months without trial

By Frances Harrison in Colombo
Tuesday has been declared a day of international support for victims of torture.

But it is of little use to one five-year-old boy from northern Sri Lanka whose naked body was found in a common grave late last year, his hands and legs bound, his throat cut.

Fourteen soldiers were arrested in connection with the killing and they have yet to be brought to trial.

But human rights activists say there are signs the child was tortured before he was killed.

Tortured

In most countries it would be headline news if the military were accused of killing eight people, among them a five-year-old child.

In Sri Lanka it hardly made news at all.

Human rights activists say the child's corpse had both knees and ankles broken and his stomach pulverized - indications that he was tortured before his throat was slit.

Extra power for the security forces under emergency regulations

Also killed were the child's father and his 15-year-old brother.

Human rights organizations say the 14 soldiers arrested in connection with the murders have yet to be put on trial, and the case has been transferred out of the Jaffna peninsula, making it difficult for witnesses to travel to give evidence.

The Mirisuvil mass grave, as it has come to be known, is just one of the recent accusations of human rights abuses levelled against the Sri Lankan military.

But human rights lawyers say in two decades of civil war there are just a handful of high-profile cases where members of the security forces have actually been punished for abuses against the Tamil minority.

Special powers

The few lawyers who will handle these cases say there are hundreds of appeals every year to the Supreme Court by Tamil detainees who allege torture at the hands of the security forces.

The lawyers - who fear for their own safety - say torture to obtain false confessions is widespread and increasing because the powers conferred on the security forces under emergency regulations make it possible to detain a suspect for up to 18 months without trial.

One Tamil human rights activist from eastern Sri Lanka said it was hard to explain to ordinary people that the police were not allowed to indulge in torture.

Most detainees, he said, thought themselves lucky to escape with their lives.

The five-year-old boy in Mirisuvil did not, and there seems to be little interest now in seeing that his killers are brought to justice.
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posted December 31, 2001 12:40 PM            

THE MASSACRE OF TAMIL YOUTHS IN A DETENTION CENTRE IN BANDARAWELA,
SRI LANKA
25th October 2000
DR. BRIAN SENEWIRATNE,
MA(Cantab), MBBChir(Cantab), MD(Lond), FRCP(Lond), FRACP
Consultant Physician - Brisbane
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine - University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Australia

The massacre of 24 unarmed Tamil boys in a Rehabilitation Centre run by the Sri Lankan Government must arouse international condemnation. This is a gross violation of International law and International Covenants to which Sri Lanka is a signatory. In accordance with International Law, authorities holding detainees are responsible for their

Attack on hindu temple - 1958

safety and security at all times and in all circumstances. There are no exceptions.
During the 1983 massacre of Tamil civilians in Colombo, 52 Tamils held in the maximum security section of the Welikade jail in Colombo were battered to death by a large group of well armed Sinhalese prisoners while the prison guards and army officials looked on.

Some of the other 290 prisoners testified that gangs of hoodlums were brought into prison from outside. There is also evidence that prison officials participated in the killing orgy with prison equipment such as axes and knives being given to other prisoners. The then President, J.R.Jayawardene and some of his Cabinet Ministers and their bands of hooligans who were responsible for systematically destroying Tamil lives and property in Colombo were implicated in this massacre. International bodies pointed out that such a massacre could not have occurred without the complicity of prison officials, especially since the prisoners were in the maximum-security section of the prison.

In December 1997, three Tamils were hacked to death in prison while guards looked on. In January this year (2000), two Tamil political detainees were murdered in the Kalutara prison just south of Colombo.

A week ago, on 25 October 2000, Tamil boys aged between 14-23 were massacred by Sinhalese hoodlums at the Bindunuwewa Rehabilitation Centre, some 3 miles from Bandarawela town in the hill country of Sri Lanka. This Rehabilitation Centre is jointly run by President Kumaratunge's Presidential Secretariat, Child Protection Authority, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, National Youth Services Council and the Don Bosco Technical Centre.

The youths were detained under the notorious "Prevention of Terrorism Act", which breaches every international convention. A police unit and 12 home guards recruited from the neighbourhood were in charge of security. It is important to appreciate that the young detainees were being held without charge or trial. They had been demanding that charges be filed against them or that they be released. They were denied the judicial process to which they have a right under the U.N. International Convention on Civil and Political Rights to which Sri Lanka acceded in 1980.

Article 9 (2) states "that persons arrested should receive prompt notification of reasons for arrest and any charges made against them. Article 9 (3) states that they should be promptly brought before a judge and brought to trial or released.

At 5.30 am on the morning of 25 October 2000, 2000 Sinhalese thugs stormed the Rehabilitation Centre wielding knives, machetes, axes and iron rods.

They hacked to death some 24 detainees and set fire to the buildings. 16 detainees were seriously wounded and another 7 injured and twenty were missing. It is liked that the death toll will rise in view of the seriousness of the injuries and the refusal of the staff of the local Bandarawela hospital to treat the injured. The death tall has, in fact, already risen and currently stands at 29. It could rise further.

There is no question that some of the home guards and policemen aided the mob. Some of the mob had been transported from elsewhere in vehicles. (I know the area well and there is simply no public transport to move such a large number of people). What is even more serious is that when the injured were taken to the Bandarawela Hospital, the medical staff refused to attend to them saying they were Tamil Tigers. Journalists trying to get some information about the massacre were subjected to intimidation by police who attempted to portray this as an escape attempt, a riot etc. When Non-Governmental organisations tried to visit the scene, they were told by the hooligans " We have cleared the area of Tigers and protected our homeland. Go away and don't report anything that would discredit our Sinhala-Buddhist country".

In what was no more than damage control, the police arrived and arrested some 250 of the hooligans. However, crowds numbering thousands converged on the police station and the hoodlums were released, confirming that it was all an exercise in window dressing.

President Kumaratunge has announced a "full inquiry"-no doubt an internal inquiry. Having followed up several such inquiries, I am not holding my breath waiting for anyone to be charged or even reprimanded. Past history has shown that although there is "condemnation" and announcements of an impartial inquiry", the end result is of no action being taken and the offenders carry on with a sense of impunity.

President Kumaratunge and her government must take full responsibility for yet another blot in Sri Lankan history.

"Detention, Torture and Murder"

The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, perhaps one of the most disgraceful and despicable Foreign Ministers we ever had, distributed large numbers of copies of the booklet "Impact of Armed Conflict on Children the Sri Lankan case", to delegates at the International Conference on war affected children held in Winnipeg, Canada, September 10-17,2000.
In it the Government of Sri Lanka claims that it "has paid considerable attention to the aspects of rehabilitation and meeting the needs of LTTE child soldiers/youths who surrender. This has been in operation since 1996 and was supervised by the Presidential Committee on "Safety and Welfare of LTTE Child Soldiers", part of the Presidential Task Force on Human Disaster Management.

The booklet goes on to state that "in order to carry out a more comprehensive rehabilitation program with the aim of reuniting these children into society, a multi-sectional steering committee chaired by Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was constituted by the President in November 1999.

If what we have seen in Bindunuwewa is the outcome of this "rehabilitation program", the International Community must act. Or do we wait for the next massacre?

To expect the Sri Lankan government to act is as good as closing the book. If President Kumaratunga is as concerned about this despicable act as she appears to be, will she allow an international independent body to investigate this and other massacres? If she does not, her credibility will be about as poor as that of J.R.Jayawardene.

It would appear that all the talk of "safety and welfare of child soldiers" "rehabilitation and reunification into society" etc are fine words for international consumption and propaganda.

A further follow-up publication may be necessary as the 'plot unfolds' and the real culprits responsible for this menace, are identified. After the 1993 massacre of Tamils in Colombo, I wrote the booklet "Unanswered Questions, The July 1983 Massacre" which was published before all the details were known.

I wrote this almost by way of an apology to the Tamil people since the then President J. R. Jayawardene had difficulty in doing so. After 4 days of deafening silence, all he could do was to address the nation on television and apologise to the Sinhalese for the inconvenience caused by the long queues for groceries. Not a word of sympathy or even regret to the Tamils whose lives and property had been shattered.

Under these circumstances, I thought it mandatory for a Sinhalese to express sympathy to the Tamil people and apologise for the way the Sinhalese thugs and hoodlums had behaved.

Human Rights Violations Against Tamils in Sri Lanka

However, even at that early stage it was clear that Jayawardne and several of his senior ministers and UNP stalwarts had plotted this massacre for several months. When the full story emerged several months later, the degree to which they were involved became clear.
Similarly with this current massacre, what we can see now is only the tip of the iceberg. There will be a lot more to see if (and that is a very big "if") an impartial and open inquiry is held. The chance that it will be open, independent and impartial, with foreign observers present is remote. A whitewash is likely. The reason for my scepticism is that even at this early stage there are some serious questions that have to be answered.

On this day preceding the massacre, the detainees had threatened to go on a hunger strike unless they were charged (or released if charges could not be levied). The army were called in from the nearby army camp in Diyatalawa. However the army left the detention centre just 6 hours before the massacre. Why?

The day before the massacre notices appeared in Bandarawaela town that the area should be "rid of Tigers" From where did these notice appear?

Sinhalese villagers living in the area are being blamed for the massacre. This is about as absurd as the Indonesian Government claiming that the East Timor slaughter was done by "rogue elements" of the Indonesian army. Sri Lanka's own human rights panel, The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC) has already issued an 18-page report that it could not accept that thousands of local residents had stormed the rehabilitation centre and beat the inmates to death.

The HRC points out that the crowd only had knives, poles and implements and not firearms. The police on the other hand, were fully armed, and could easily have brought the rampaging mob under control. Why didn't they?

There is documentary evidence that there had been an excellent rapport between the detainees and the local villagers. The detainees, as part of their work, had to do some social work in the village.

Several villagers, astounded and angered by the charge that they had been responsible for the massacre, have already come out and stated quite clearly that they were "helpful boys" who helped in several chores in the village. I doubt if the Sri Lankan government will be able to conceal the identity of those responsible, anymore than Jayawardene was able to conceal the identity of those responsible for the 1983 massacre.

As with the July 1983 massacre of Tamils in Colombo and the south the October 2000 massacre of Tamil youths in the so called "Rehabilitation centre" points to a well planned, well organised event. Planned by whom, executed by whom and on whose orders? The answers will come, a whitewash inquiry not withstanding.

When it does, Kumaratunga, her armed forces and the Sinhalese extremists and thugs she seems to be so reluctant to take on, may not come out of this one with any great glory- her reassuring noises notwithstanding.

The world cannot wait for this "non-event". The least we can do is to demand that,

1. All the political detainees (some 3000) being held without charge or trial are released at once (or charged). To hold them without charge or trial is illegal and if the Sri Lankan government is unwilling to rectify this, we will have to mobilise international action to force the government to do so. This we have done in Indonesia, Bosnia and several other places. Why not Sri Lanka?
2. The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) under which these (and many more atrocities) are committed is withdrawn at once. It has been condemned by Amnesty International and numerous international legal bodies and human rights groups. Sri Lanka cannot getaway with this Act, which is more reminiscent of a despotic regime than a supposed democracy.

3. An international team is admitted at once to investigate the massacre.

If the international community does not act, and act now, they will be about as responsible as the hoodlums, the police, the armed forces and their political masters, who were responsible for this barbaric deed.

2nd November 2000

Published by:

posted December 31, 2001 12:41 PM            

[TamilNet, October 27, 2000 16:44 GMT]

The Amnesty International Thursday issued a statement expressing its concern for safety of two Tamil youths who were arrested by the Sri Lanka Army soldiers earlier this month in Vavuniya.

Tharmalingam Sriranganathan, 21, and Shanmugalingam Thushyanthan, 19, have "disappeared" after they were arrested by the Sri Lankan army in separate incidents, the Amnesty International said.

According to Amnesty, Tharmalingam Sriranganathan was arrested on the evening of 1st October by ten uniformed soldiers travelling on bicycles. He was reportedly seen with head wounds inside the Thandikulam army camp on 2nd October. However, the army continues to deny his arrest.

Shanmugalingam Thushyanthan has been missing since he was detained on 7th October at an army checkpoint in Veeravapuliyankulam, Vavuniya district. Two of his friends, who were detained at the same time, were released later that day. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at the checkpoint had told his relatives that Thushyanthan had been taken to the 211 Brigade Headquarters, but officers there denied holding him, the Amnesty statement said.

The statement said that the organisation has received reports of 11 "disappearances" in the area this year.

posted December 31, 2001 12:42 PM            

Civilians in the Vanni district at Killinochchi claim to have found over 45 bodies within the precincts of the former army camp at Killinochchi. A large number of the bodies they say have been found in pits within the forward defence localities of the armed forces camp. The army camp at Killinochchi fell to the LTTE in September 1998. A grave holding two more bodies was discovered Wednesday August 16, by residents in the Killinochchi district. The two skeletons were found dressed in pyjamas and a sarong. One skeleton wore a blue shirt while his hands had been tied with a nylon rope. Civilians displaced by the war and who are now returning to their homes in the Vanni district at Killinochchi claim to have found the mass graves in and around this area. It is alleged that since fresh hostilities broke out between Lankan security forces and the LTTE this year, at least another 186 persons have gone missing in the northern peninsula.

Since the fall of the Killinochchi army camp residents claim that a large number of civilians had gone missing when the army camp was in existence. The Killinochchi army camp was not a designed camp, which means it concentrated on forward defence localities outside the forward defence lines. The forward defence localities were areas in which the army patrolled ahead of defence lines. This strategy was practised by the armed forces camp at Killinochchi in order to prevent the enemy from dominating areas around the camp. Troops were sent ahead of forward defence lines into these localities to ambush possible LTTE parties and to ensure that the LTTE did not build up in the area ahead of the armed forces camp.

In these forward defence localities the army frequently lay in ambush. Sources in the area say that large numbers of civilians who were displaced due to ongoing fighting however continued to visit these areas. This was due to the fact that many of their households and farms lay in the forward localities used by Army patrols. In fact, in 1997, Rev. Arulbalen a catholic priest was caught and later found dead after attempting to visit a farm that was run by the church in this area. Due to the massive outcry that followed the murder of the priest the armed forces thereafter handed over to the Jaffna police some of the civilians taken in for interrogation. However the number of civilians handed over to the Jaffna police were few and far between. Residents of the area maintain that large numbers of their neighbours continued to simply vanish never to be seen alive thereafter.

The civilians who disappeared were mostly people of upcountry Tamil origin who had settled at Killinochchi after 1977. Many of them are believed to have been caught when they went to pluck coconuts and oversee other functions of their farms and homes. Apart from sources at Killinochchi, humanitarian organizations working in the Vanni district deny any knowledge of the graves.

Fri Aug 18 03:59:28 EDT 2000

posted December 31, 2001 12:43 PM            

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing"
Concept of Genocide
Genocide is a motivated crime against humanity. There simply were no precedents concerning either the nature or the degree of the crime. According to Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-born adviser to the United States War Ministry, genocide signifies 'the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group' and it implies the existence of a coordinated plan, to be put into effect against individuals chosen as victims purely, simply and exclusively because they are members of the target group, to exterminate them completely. Genocide is not only a crime against the rules of war, but also a crime against humanity itself affecting not just the individual or nation in question, but humanity as a whole. Killing someone simply because he or she exists, is a crime against humanity; it is a crime against the very essence of what it is to be human. Genocide is therefore both the gravest and the greatest of the crimes against humanity. Genocide is a conspiracy aimed at the total destruction of a group and thus requires a concerted plan of action. The instigators and initiators of a genocide are cool-minded theorists first and barbarians only second. The specificity of genocide does not arise from the extent of the killings, nor their savagery or resulting infamy, but solely from the intention: the destruction of a group. The Convention for the Prevention and the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was voted into existence by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) in 1948. After stating in Article 1 that genocide is a crime under international law, the Convention laid down the following definition: Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

a. Killing members of the group;

b. causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

c. deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

d. imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

e. forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.*

The final definition as it stands today is based on four constituent factors:
(1) a criminal act,

(2) with the intention of destroying,

(3) an ethnic, national or religious group and

(4) targeted as such.

Government Sponsored Genocide of Tamils

A civil war is in progress in Sri Lanka between the Sri Lankan government's armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Tamil armed liberation organisation. Since April this year, the government forces have intensified the attacks against the civilians by using multi-barrel artillery shelling and carpet bombings. They are doing this in retaliation to the defeats they suffered in the hands of the LTTE. The government forces are directing their attacks against the noncombatant civilian population. Civilians are used as human shields by the armed forces. Indiscriminate artillery shelling and bombings purposively damage properties of the civilian Tamil people. The government sponsored atrocities in north and east of Sri Lanka evoke a litany of horrific human tragedies - ethnic cleansing, starvation, murder of children; extrajudicial killings, rapes, shelling, arbitrary arrests and detention, running labour camps, ill-treatments, summary executions, collective punishment, and pillage. These atrocities are committed on a large scale; thus, they also constitute crime against humanity and genocide.

In July 2000, in a report on Sri Lanka by the human right organisation, Amnesty International, it has criticised the emergency regulations that were introduced in May by the Sri Lankan government. The report indicated that an increase in torture, disappearances and deaths in custody has been reported since the regulations were introduced. It also suggested that it is concerned that wider powers given to the security forces may have contributed to the increase.

On 29 June 2000, the Chairman of the Committee on International Relations of the Congress of the United States, Congressman Benjamin Gilman, claimed in his letter to US Secretary of State, Hon. Madeleine Albright, that the Sri Lankan government has a long history of repressing the human rights of the Tamil people. In addition, embargo on food, medicine and other essentials to the Tamil people has caused a humanitarian crisis. The letter further continued to indicate that the ban on access for the media to the war zones, could indicate that the Sri Lankan government is concerned that the outside world may learn things that may not reflect well on its image.

On 18 July 2000, two British members of European Parliament strongly criticised the Sri Lankan government's human rights record. They said that the government has not done enough to protect civilians caught up in the war against Tamil Tigers and is covering up their suffering. The two members accused authorities of implementing an oppressive press-censorship policy and of not allowing essential supplies, including baby food and medicine, to be distributed in areas controlled by the Tamil Tigers. They also said that the authorities were not doing enough to minimise civilian casualties. They claimed that the plight of displaced people in and around the conflict area was as bad as the suffering endured by civilians in Sierra Leon and Chechnya.

The heinous and massive crimes such as genocide, torture, rape and destruction committed by the Sri Lankan soldiers must be a concern to the international community. Unfortunately, in Sri Lanka, there is no judicial system capable of dealing with these types of crimes or providing a fair trial. Therefore, international community and media should take every endeavour to stop these atrocities by advocating for a war crime tribunal for Sri Lanka.

Negligence by International Community

On 21 July 2000, several scholars from all over the world gathered at the inaugural ceremony of "Genocide Research Institute" in Nottingham, United Kingdom. This institute will provide information to governments, politicians, and individuals/groups so trouble spots can be located early to do the needful in time. At the inaugural meeting, the participants talked about holocaust/genocide of Armenians, Gypsies, Jews and Ruwandans but not the recent genocide of Tamils of Sri Lanka. This suggests that the genocide of Tamils is not getting appropriate attention by the international community.

History and future generations will judge those of us in a position to act now as to how we respond today to the cycle of systematic genocide committed by the Sri Lankan government forced against the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Tamils living overseas should be under no illusion that the real victims are the Tamils. We must find ways to bring these atrocities to the attention of the international community. All people who are willing to work together on this matter must come forward and take leadership roles to dedicate themselves to tell the world the truth about the genocide. It is the responsibility of all Tamils. In the past, due to the lack of facilities, a piecemeal approach was used by several Tamils living in Sri Lankan and overseas. We have to build on their contributions to reap the benefits yet. We need to do more to attract the attention of the international community, including the other governments.

Recent War Crimes Committed in the Town of Kaithady

Kaithady is a medium size town in the Jaffna Peninsula. It came under the LTTE control on 17 May 2000. In April 2000, it had a population of approximately 10,000 Tamils. Kaithady was a focal point of conflict throughout the months of April, May and June this year. Unlike most towns and cities in north, it was the target for heavy artillery fire, bombing and shelling by the Sri Lankan armed forces. Consequently, deaths and the total destruction experienced by the civilians are beyond the norm of any civilised society. The Sri Lankan armed forces had control over the town since 1995, and the public buildings were frequently used as a detention centre for Tamils arrested from surrounding areas,

On 20 May 2000, multiple shells fell on an old people's home (an institutionalised home for aged people) at Kaithady killing over 15 elders and seriously wounding 24. While most of the killings in the town occurred as a result of shelling, artillery fire and bombings, at least 10 unsuspected civilians were shot dead by the heavily armed soldiers. The majority of the people claiming that they have witnessed killings of fleeing civilians by the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Extensive shelling of Kaithady by Sri Lankan armed forces began on 16 May and people were fleeing from that moment. The displaced people described the situation as "a human tragedy of combination of deaths, destruction, injuries and distress". Eyewitness accounts indicate multiple violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Kaithady since early May 2000. The unarmed civilians suffered detentions, beatings, house-to-house searches, robbery, and extortion by the armed forces.

One displaced family from Kaithady wrote on 1 June 2000 that, they escaped death with their two children by moving from one place to another for several days and nights. They claimed that the Sri Lankan armed forces do not have any regards for the lives of the fleeing and unarmed civilians. The family said that they are afraid to death to describe the atrocities and their narrow escape from death. This family said that on 19 May 2000, the armed forces were shelling Kaithady. There were hands to hands fight between the LTTE and the armed forces close to their house. On the next day, shelling started at about 8:30 PM and it was continuing for about two hours without any break. In the meantime, they moved to another friend's place. However, they could not stay there. They had about 17 people in their group, including their relatives. The family said that everyone was crying and running here and there to save their lives. It was raining and at about 3: 00 AM they were running along the Neervelli beachside. At that point, the armed forces confronted them. The army was shooting on them and two people from their group were killed. They were shouting at the army claiming "civilians", "civilians". However, Sinhala army did not bother. They did not understand their language. Finally, the army let them flee. The family said that they do not know what happened to their sisters and parents. The family claimed that they saw several dead bodies on their way to Chunnakam. They also said that it was almost 15 days since they fled Kaithady and they did not have extra cloths to change into. The family said that shelling was splitting the people into pieces. This is the fate of the civilians. It is like a horror story. This must be stopped. The international community should take the initiative to investigate the atrocities and to decide whether the Sri Lankan government has a case to challenge.

Recommendation for International Community

The International community should make efforts to make known the laws of war to as wide audiences as possible, through journalistic analysis of the civil war in Sri Lanka. Tamil people do not have enough political power and they are intentionally limited to achieve this aim. We believe one of the best mechanisms for preventing war crimes and other atrocities--in the absence of an International Criminal Court and any deterrent effect such a court might have--is attention of the world. If the Sri Lankan government knows that the eyes of the international community are wide open, it may moderate their behavior in order to maintain some semblance of legitimacy about their reasons for fighting. Though this may seem small in comparison to a criminal tribunal, bear in mind that the Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia would never have come about had it not been for the consistent media reports of war crimes and exposition of what was taking place. In the current international climate, no tribunal is likely without first an initial push by the media and the international community to bring the nature of the conflict and war crimes to the world's attention. Therefore, you will please, take some efforts to shed more light on the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Thank you.

Courtesy : TamilCanadian

posted December 31, 2001 12:43 PM            

Agence France-Presse

PARIS (June 25, 2000 10:31 a.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Sexual abuse of Tamil men in Sri Lankan jails is rampant, including rape, electric shocks to the genitals and forced sex acts with prison guards, according to a study published in Saturday's issue of The Lancet, the British medical weekly.

The study was compiled by the London-based Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, which assessed medical and legal reports by 17 doctors investigating allegations by 184 Tamil men.

Thirty-eight of them complained of sexual abuse, including severe forms of torture, by prison guards, it said.

"The common myth is that the guards, not being homosexual themselves, would not want to commit homosexual acts," the study said.

"However, the evidence suggests that the motivation for sexual assault of men is the demonstration of complete control over the victim, and that the perpetrators do not perceive themselves or their acts as homosexual."

The alleged victims were referred to the organization between January 1997 and December 1998.

"We believe that sexual abuse of Tamil men in detention is common in Sri Lanka. Although in this sample the proportion was 20 percent, the true number is probably higher as some will not have reported it," the authors said.

They called on the authorities in Sri Lanka, a signatory to the U.N. Convention against Torture, to take urgent action to stop the alleged practice.

posted December 31, 2001 12:44 PM            

by: Ananda Kannangara

Retired Commissioner of Prisons C. T. Jansz giving evidence at the Presidential Truth Commission (PTC) on Wednesday said that killing 35 Tamil prisoners inside the Welikada Prison on July 25, 1983 is the most gruesome incident experienced in this country during the 1983 terror period.

"Storming into the prison cell in the early hours of July 23, 1983 by fellow Sinhala prisoners is vehemently condemned and not accepted by any individual in a civil society and hope this nature of the incident will never occur in this land in the future", he said.

The PTC on 1983 Ethnic Violence resumed its sittings on Tuesday at the BMICH where the retired Commissioner of Prisons C. T. Jansz delivered presentations. The commission was presided over by retired Chief Justice S. Sharvanandan, Presidential Council, M. M. Zuhair and Presidential Council S. S. Sahabandu.

He said "at the time of this incident I was the Acting Prison Commissioner as the permanent Prison Commissioner Mr. Delgoda was out of the country. Therefore, I took immediate action to safeguard the lives of other prisoners. Accordingly, the lives of about 28 prisoners were saved and later they were transferred to another building called the "Youthful Offenders Building."

"Soon after the incident the matter was brought to the notice of the then President J. R. Jayewardene, so that he directed the relevant law enforcement officers to protect the remaining prisoners and take action against wrongdoers".

At this juncture when the counsel inquired whether the Police was summoned at the time of this incident, Mr. Jansz said that no police personnel were allowed inside the prison premises according to the prison ordinance.

"However, when we informed the Army, they came inside the prison and brought the situation under control".

"Then, at the same time I called the Prison Medical Officer Dr. Perimpanayagam and he examined the bodies and certified them as dead".

"After the examination the doctor said that the heads of several prisoners were seriously damaged".

"After a few minutes of the incident I saw army personnel loading the dead bodies of prisoners into a truck and later they were taken to the hospital morgue".

"When the Counsel asked whether an inquiry was held after the incident, Mr. Jansz said that an inquiry was conducted after the arrival of Mr. Delgoda.

The Commission was put off for Thursday.

December 14th, 2001

Courtesy : CDN

posted December 31, 2001 12:45 PM            

The new question is, can Sri Lanka show the world that it is genuine in combating terrorism of LTTE while the Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Defence is getting his son to shoot unarmed civilians in large numbers.

Terrorism is not only killing by LTTE it is also killing by state terror as per the new draft approved by the legal committee of the General Assembly chaired by a Sri Lankan which will be ratified by the General Assembly.

As per the intense international campaign against terrorism the 12 international conventions against terrorism is coming into focus.

Sri Lanka has also asked the international community to help curb terrorism in the country and blaming other countries for not providing it enough support against terrorism. But with the general election scene it is found a lot of terrorist acts being committed by Sinhala politicians against the unarmed citizens and the state is only paying lip service to stop it.

At the beginning of the election campaign there was report that a government ex-member of parliament from Puttalam in the North Western Province against whom 23 criminal cases are pending has destroyed Muslim boutiques in puttalam area because they were selling green paper which can be used for opposition United National Party propaganda. This particular person has done much acts of criminal nature in the last few elections repeatedly to drive fear into the minds of civilians in the area. But, he was given the protection of special commando unit to engaged in acts of terrorism which he did and provoked his opponent to act in self defence.

Though his party the People’s Alliance itself cannot be categorised as a terrorist organisation, he continues to be a member of a political party which holds state power and therefore law enforcement agencies are unable to take into custody the culprits or institute the legal action against them.

The definition of a terrorist has given rise to much difficulty in the international conventions because national liberation struggles are not classified as terrorists unless they target civilians. So for any member of an organisation that is classified as terrorist is taken as a terrorist and others who perform acts of terror still remain as criminals who violate the national laws against persons or property.

But where a criminal uses the political power to disable the law enforcement he is no longer a common criminal and his ability to drive fear to the civilians is an act that goes beyond criminality. Where there is a consistent pattern of such conduct and there is lack of effective law enforcement against the criminal which actions of him make civilians fearful of his conduct, he should be a terrorist not a common criminal. The recently adopted legal definition of the United Nations special legal committee chaired by a Sri Lankan covers the acts of terrorism committed by members of the government power once it is done for political purposes. This will go as a General Assembly Declaration of United Nations.

The peace loving people must gather and record such acts of crime against unarmed civilians in the country and find out which political party is retaining them in the membership and any party harbouring such terrorists must be proscribed under the Sri Lankas Prevention of Terrorism Act or prevail upon such party to dismiss them from the party.

Then Sri Lankans really convince the international community that Sri Lanka is anti-terrorist and it should assist Sri Lanka towards anti-terrorism. Otherwise we Sri Lankans are not fooling the international community but fooling themselves particularly during the general elections because the international observers would have observed systematic and well organised crimes against unarmed civilians is a well accepted way of gaining political power in Sri Lanka. That is the reality if Sri Lankans take emotions out of their thinking.
Leo Samson
Kandana

posted December 31, 2001 12:45 PM            

[TamilNet, December 05, 2001 05:44 GMT]

The Sri Lanka army barred thousands of Tamil voters in Batticaloa Wednesday from casting their votes. SLA sources in the east claimed that the main entry points from the district's western hinterland were closed on a special directive from President Chandrika Kumaratunga. More than 45,000 voters would not be able to cast their ballot because of the Presidential directive to shut down the entry points, Mr. Pon Selvarasa, ex-MP for Batticaloa and a candidate of the Tamil National Alliance said.

Crowds of Tamils who came to cast their votes were turned back by the SLA at the Black Bridge, Mankerni, Kiran Bridge and the Vavunathivu Bridge in the eastern district Wednesday morning. Mr. Selvarasa said that the TNA had protested to the Police and the Government Agent that the SLA has no authority under the law to bar voters or close designated entry points.

The SLA barred more than seventy thousand Tamils in the Vanni from voting today by closing the main entry point at Piramanaalankulam. Tamils in the Vanni and the east have also been prevented by the SLA from voting to promote the chances of the ruling People's Alliance regime's coalition partner, the EPDP, on a special Presidential order issued late Tuesday night.

Seventy one thousand voters live in the western hinterland and the northern sector of the Batticaloa district. The chief returning officer for the district designated six entry points for these voters to cast their ballots in clustered polling centres.

Only two entry points in Batticaloa south, the Paddiruppu Bridge and the Ambilanthurai ferry, remain open for voters. Both points are under the control of the Police.

The entry points closed by the SLA in Batticaloa north are Vavunathivu (four kilometres northwest of Batticaloa town), the Black Bridge (16 kilometres north of Batticaloa), the Kiran Bridge (27 kilometres north) and Mankerni (50 kilometres north).

posted December 31, 2001 12:46 PM            

[TamilNet, November 20, 2001 17:42 GMT]

Four persons of a family, including an eleven-year-old boy, were killed and eight civilians were wounded when military trained Police in Eravur, 14 kilometres north of Batticaloa, opened fire indiscriminately in the Tamil sector of the town Tuesday night around 8 p.m. The Police had opened fire on suspicion upon seeing a car near a sentry in the town. The car belonged to a lawyer who was visiting a friend in the area. Relatives were able to bring only the bodies of the boy, Pathmanathan Suresh, 11, and Sinnathamby Sellathamby, 60 to the Eravur hospital. The bodies of the boy’s parents are still lying in their house, residents said. Only four wounded persons were able to reach the hospital, sources said.

Policemen at security posts in divisions 4 and 5 of Eravur had opened up with assault rifles and mortars indiscriminately following the firing in which the four were killed. At least four persons injured by the Police firing are trapped in the affected area, residents said.

The four wounded persons who were able to reach the Eravur hospital are:
1. Kumarasamy Sasikumar, 22
2. Sinnathamby Kaliammah, 40
3. Kathirkamathamby Mala, 16
4. Sellathamby Selvi, 20

posted December 31, 2001 12:50 PM            

The Sri Lankan forces not have just killed the Innocent Tamils, but they also have killed more than 100,000 sinhalese civilians and thousands of Muslims in all over the country!

The followings are just a few terror activities by Srilankan ruthless forces to the state minority Tamils in Tamil Eelam area. We will keep updating this page as the incidents currently increases.

posted December 31, 2001 12:50 PM            

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 23rd, 1983 was a worse day for Thamizh in Srilanka! It was sixteen years ago that the Thamizh struggle was propelled to International headlines following riots in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. The riots lasted for several days and left over 3,000 Thamizhs dead and millions of dollars worth of their property destroyed. The week of July 23rd, 1983, saw some of the worst violence and blood shed ever on the ``island of paradise''. Rather than resist the rioting, the Sri Lankan police, as well as the Buddhist clergy, actively took part in many of the murders. The government refused to condemn the riots and did not even release a statement until after four days of mayhem. The city of Colombo was literally being burnt to the ground, and no one gave a damn. The government had even provided electorial sheets to the rioters, to enable a systematic assault against all Thamizh houses in the city. That week was a time of darkness for justice and humanity. But from the flames of those burning houses, and from the tears of the Thamizh people rose a hope, a hope for freedom. That hope was the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

STATE TERROR: BLACK JULY OF 1983 REVISITED

Another July Passing By

16th anniversary of Black July

Darkness at Noon

'Black July' and after

Never again, the horrors of Black July

Anti Tamil pogrom of '83, The day all hell broke loose ...

The hidden hand in the July '83 riots

Lanka's Day of Shame

Political Violence And The Future Of Democracy In Sri Lanka- Part 1

Political Violence And The Future Of Democracy In Sri Lanka - Part 2

Black July is very much with us!

1983 Black July Resolutions!

Houlocaust of 1983!

1983 and state terrorism!

Diary of a 1983 Survivor!

The Anti Tamil Pogrom of 1983!

July29,the another worse day!

SL government's Response on that riot!

The Security forces' role!

Welicada Massacres!

An Eye Witness of These Incidents!

Detention, Tortune and Murder in Srilanka !

Human Rights Violations Against Tamils in Sri Lanka - A detailed Coverage by TC!

Human Rights - Chronology of Killings

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some Pictures showing some Terror incidents in 1983!

July 83 Rememberences!

83 Massacres!

83 Killings!

Tamil Refugees in 1983!

posted December 31, 2001 12:57 PM            

lakgem,
You are right. Churchill was considered a hero when Royal Airforce was wreaking havoc on German cities. Winners' atrocities or excesses are always forgotten. Similarly now, atrocities committed by many govts, around the world, on their minorities are overlooked. When the minority fights back, they are labelled terrorist. SL is a classic example of this. When your govt forces shows brutality it is considered legitimate and part of the war but when the underdog minority who is fighting for survival shows some ruthlessness then you say they are ruthless.

"Judging from the last 20-30 years it is clear how Prabhakaran will be remembered in history books. Let’s home that the PM won’t spoil everything."

You are wrong. You simply can't judge how Prabha is going to be judged by looking at the past 20 years. The perception could change overnight. Nelson Mandela was considered a terrorist for almost 50 years and Yasser Arafat was considered a terrorist for almost 40 years. See what happened to those people.

posted December 31, 2001 01:04 PM            

lakgem,
You are right. Churchill was considered a hero when Royal Airforce was wreaking havoc on German cities. Winners' atrocities or excesses are always forgotten. Similarly now, atrocities committed by many govts, around the world, on their minorities are overlooked. When the minority fights back, they are labelled terrorist. SL is a classic example of this. When your govt forces shows brutality it is considered legitimate and part of the war but when the underdog minority who is fighting for survival shows some ruthlessness then you say they are ruthless.

"Judging from the last 20-30 years it is clear how Prabhakaran will be remembered in history books. Let’s home that the PM won’t spoil everything."

You are wrong. You simply can't judge how Prabha is going to be judged by looking at the past 20 years. The perception could change overnight. Nelson Mandela was considered a terrorist for almost 50 years and Yasser Arafat was considered a terrorist for almost 40 years. See what happened to those people.

posted December 31, 2001 08:28 PM            

lakgem,

You are right. Churchill was considered a hero when Royal Airforce was wreaking havoc on German cities. Winners' atrocities or excesses are always forgotten. Similarly now, atrocities committed by many govts, around the world, on their minorities are overlooked. When the minority fights back, they are labelled terrorist. SL is a classic example of this. When your govt forces shows brutality it is considered legitimate and part of the war but when the underdog minority who is fighting for survival shows some ruthlessness then you say they are brutal killers.

"Judging from the last 20-30 years it is clear how Prabhakaran will be remembered in history books. Let’s home that the PM won’t spoil everything."

You are wrong. You simply can't judge how Prabha is going to be judged by looking at the past 20 years. The perception could change overnight. Nelson Mandela was considered a terrorist for almost 50 years and Yasser Arafat was considered a terrorist for almost 40 years. See what happened to those people.