Over 1,000 Tamil civilians
killed in the three years bombing of Jaffna says British Refugee Council
'"Daily life in Jaffna is conditioned by the distant drone of aircraft engines and
the run to the bunkers behind almost every house...Over 1,000 civilians have been killed
in the three years bombing of Jaffna and almost 1,500 have died from gruesome injuries.
Another 1,000 children died needlessly in 1992 because Jaffna hospitals lack basic drugs
and medical equipment to save them…
At 8 am on 26 July, out of the blinding blue of Jaffna's skies, two Sri Lankan air
craft dropped four bombs behind Thirunelveli Dairy Farm killing Shanmugam, trader, and his
four grandchildren. His house was completely destroyed and four others badly damaged. At
midday on a second bombing run at Kopay six civilians including three schoolboys died and
eight were injured close to the Irupalai Aluminium factory building. A Hindu temple and a
young girl sheltering there were smashed to pieces.
There were no warnings, no air-dropped leaflets announcing operations. Why should
there be? After all, no one is watching. There will be no international protest or
outcry....
...The Sri Lankan airforce lack the technology and advanced intelligence to pinpoint
legitimate targets. The LTTE for all their ingenuity lack anti-aircraft defences. When
defence sources say two LTTE arms factories were destroyed in another air raid on 30 July
in Vaddukkottai, it means Jaffna student Thayaparan Muhunthan, 20, was blown apart and ten
others including two-year old Sunthararam badly injured.'' -(British Refugee Council
publication Sri Lanka Monitor, July 1993)
