INDICTMENT AGAINST SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka's Genocidal War '08 -'09

On 2 January 2008, the Sri Lanka Government gave notice of its unilateral abrogation of the Cease Fire Agreement that it had entered into with  the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in February 2002. Accordingly, the Cease Fire Agreement ended two weeks later on 16 January 2008. Together with the unilateral abrogation of the Peace Agreement, Sri Lanka intensified its genocidal attack on the people of Tamil Eelam. The Record Speaks...

2008 - 2009

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20,000 Tamils massacred by  Sri Lankan army

"The Sri Lankan army was responsible for a further atrocity yesterday as it intensified its offensive against the remnants of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). At least 49 people were killed and more than 50 injured when a shell struck the only remaining hospital in the so-called no-fire zone on the north east coast of the island...The army’s attacks on hospitals and other civilian targets are not accidents but part of a strategy of terrorising the population inside the remaining LTTE territory. The aim is to stampede civilians into leaving the area so that it can be turned into a free fire zone... Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has rejected all calls for a ceasefire and responded to any criticisms of the military’s actions with unconcealed contempt...The Rajapakse government, however, is secure in the knowledge that no action will be taken through the UN. China, Russia, Japan and Vietnam tacitly supported the Sri Lankan government and its war crimes by blocking any formal discussion of the situation in the UN Security Council on Monday. The US, France and Britain have been issuing hypocritical expressions of concern about the humanitarian crisis, but all these powers quietly backed Rajapakse’s decision to plunge the country back to war in mid-2006. Their calls for a ceasefire are not issued out of concern for the trapped civilians, but to shape the outcome of the war in their own economic and strategic interests. All these powers bear their share of political responsibility for the Sri Lankan government’s communal war and the war crimes being carried out." more

"Predictably, the UN Security Council has called upon the LTTE to  'allow the tens of thousands of civilians still in the conflict zone to leave'.  If not for the humanitarian tragedy faced by the people of Tamil Eelam caused by the genocidal onslaught by Sinhala Sri Lanka, the UN Security Council suggestion that but for the LTTE, Tamil civilians would  some how want to voluntarily leave the conflict zone to go into barbed wire concentration camps euphemistically called welfare villages would be laughable... The UN Security Council Press Statement (not Resolution) reflects the horsedealing that went on before it and the real polick nature of its deliberations behind the pretensions of humanitarian concern.."

How many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn't see
How many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry
How many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind

Channel 4 News reports from a camp in the northern Sri Lankan city of Vavuniya, where Tamil refugees have been taken. Shocking claims have emerged of shortages of food and water, dead bodies left where they have fallen, women separated from their families, and even sexual abuse. This programme obtained the first independently filmed pictures from the internment camps set up by the Sri Lankan government to house Tamils who have fled the country's civil war. There are at least a hundred thousand Tamils from the country's north held in these camps, and while the government insists their stay there is temporary, aid workers say there is not as yet a concrente plan for their resettlement into the country's north.As access to the camps is prohibited to journalists, unless they are under military escort, independent information about conditions inside is hard to come by. But Channel Four News managed to send a cameraman into the camps who filmed, without army escort, who filmed these scenes.

"Bomber aircrafts have resumed bombing raids since 4th May, 2009. On 4th coastal IDP settlements were attacked. Today several bombs were dropped in the densely populated interior of the coastal village. This has increased the deaths and injuries manifold. This is an added atrocity apart from mayhem caused by artillery and canon fire. Famine is widespread. People are not eating for several days. The fainting incidents are common. Many reach the stage of stupor. If not taken any action they reach coma stage and die. No food items in the shops. The land is barren. No eatable vegetation."

"..Within the northern and southern sections of the Civilian Safe Zone (CSZ), there are new indications of building destruction and damages resulting from shelling and possible air strikes. This analysis was conducted with a time series of very high resolution satellite imagery from 5 February to 19 April 2009. .."

"..1. Putumattalan: Three permanent buildings have been destroyed between 29 March and 19 April, bringing the total for the northern section of the CSZ to six destroyed since 15 March. There are potentially large amounts of moderate to severe damages to the remaining permanent buildings in this area..."

"..Tamil IDPs inside the barbed-wire internment camps in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled Vavuniyaa are not only medically underserved, but are subjected to degrading interrogations .. Many are tortured or simply shot. There are also reports of regular rapes."

The UN has issued a fresh appeal for a humanitarian pause or lull in the fighting in Sri Lanka to avoid a "bloodbath" on the beaches. It says such a development in the north-eastern region "seems an increasingly real possibility". The latest appeal comes as aid agencies are expressing increasing concern over the safety of more than 100,000 people caught up in the fighting.  On Wednesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said one of its staff working in the war zone had been killed. The aid worker, Sinnathurai Kugathasan, was hit by a shell while fetching water.
 The government has repeatedly rejected international calls for a ceasefire saying this would only allow the rebels to regroup.

The military says it has now captured all rebel-held territory in the north-east after days of intense fighting and has now pushed them into a government-designated "safe zone" set up to protect civilians. The zone is estimated to be about 20 sq km (12.4 miles) of the coastal area.  A senior health official in the conflict zone, Dr T Varatharaja, told the BBC that more than 30 civilians had been killed in the last 24 hours when shells landed inside the designated no-fire zone. "

The UN says that it estimates that thousands of civilians have been killed and wounded in the conflict in the north-east of Sri Lanka. The UN's US-based Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says civilians continue to lose their lives within the war zone. It says that they are also being killed in the no-fire area which has been hit by artillery attacks. The government says the UN's figures are "irresponsible and sensationalist". But UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly deplored the mounting civilian death toll - which he said included children.."

"...At any time shell may fall amidst you and your family. With screeching sound one sole shell will pass us and fall somewhere close by. It will fall with devastating effect. No one will expect this treacherous shell. You will be sleeping in your shelter. You may be on the road buying something. Children may be playing. Some may be having bath. That shell will fall among the crowded refugee population. Six or seven will fall dead. Scores will get injured. From this first shell no one knows how to escape. Before second shell falls all will be in the bunkers. Like parent rabbits and their kids scurrying to a hole when they saw a vulture parents dragging and lifting their children and hurry into the bunkers. After that, about 10 – 15 shells will fall in quick succession around the area. After that there will be a pause. They will come out and get into their usual chores. Again in half or one hour’s time suddenly without any warning shells will start falling causing casualties. This is the daily occurrence. It takes the toll of about 70 – 80 deaths and hundreds injured everyday This has become a routine – a way of life. Horror filled atmosphere. Waiting in anticipation of death with fear all over the body. Expecting the visit of Kaalan – god of time and death..."

"..Hospital: Hospital has become a hell. Mathalan GTMS has been converted into a makeshift hospital. Every now and then the ambulances and TRO vehicles moving fast into the hospital compound and would screech to a halt. Hospital staff, Red Cross and TRO volunteers would be always there to receive the dead and wounded. The wounded would be immediately shifted from the vehicles as smoothly as possible and placed on a big carpet under a tree. Health volunteers with the assistance of doctors immediately would get into doing first aid and injecting saline. They would select the priority cases to be treated at once. Some cases were there – they can not be treated. Doctors were sure that with surgical items available here, medicines and expertise there was no hope and no chance for recovery. We saw a case – a young boy who was still alive. We asked the doctor why he can not be treated. Doctor put his whole finger into a hole on his head. He explained that a shell piece has penetrated through the scalp of his head and gone deep into his brain and has damaged it seriously. Even a neuro surgeon in a best hospital in the world can not cure him. How can we? We have to work without anesthesia and pethadin – drugs needed for surgery and amputations. He would die in some minutes.” In another case a pregnant woman with three month baby inside her womb was lying there - Her internal organs have been severely damaged – shell pieces have severed many vital parts of her stomach and womb. Her both breasts have been severed. Blood was fast flowing like many streams from the abdomen. There was no blood in the blood bank. She would die soon."

" The Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday Times reported on 22 February that the donor Co-Chairs are working out a coalition humanitarian task force spearheaded by the United States, to evacuate civilians trapped in the fighting in the Vanni.  It appears that what I wrote on 29 January 2009 in Sinhala Sri Lanka's  Genocide of Eelam Tamils - a Crime Against Humanity, is now coming to pass -

"...the international community will wait till Tamil resistance is sufficiently weakened or  annihilated before it attempts to intervene 'on humanitarian grounds' and in seeming response to 'world wide Tamil appeals'.  Meanwhile the IC will even welcome such world wide appeals by Tamils as that will pave the way (and establish useful contact points amongst the Tamil diaspora) for IC's eventual intervention with 'development aid' with the mantra of not conflict resolution but 'conflict transformation'.

It was the Buddha who said that suffering is a great teacher. The Tamil people are being taught on the hard anvil of death and suffering appropriately enough in Buddhist Sri Lanka that human rights and humanitarian laws are more often than not, political instruments - instruments which States use selectively so that they may intervene to advance their own perceived strategic interests. After all the simplest thing that the international actors could have done to protect the Tamil people would have been to remove the ban on the LTTE so that the capacity of the people of Tamil Eelam to resist the genocidal onslaught launched on them by Sinhala Sri Lanka may have been strengthened. The simple and humane thing that the international actors could have done was not to taunt the struggles against terrorism with the label terrorism but to adopt a  principle centered approach which liberated political language and also helped to liberate a people who have taken up arms as a last resort in their struggle for freedom from oppressive alien Sinhala rule. .."

1. Structured Humanitarian Work: After the population of over 300,000 have movedinto villages such as Puthu Mathalan, Pokkanai, Valaiyarmadam and Mullivaikal inMullaitivu district the health services divided these villages into six zones. TRO too wentalong with this delineation of boundaries and hick started its activities.

2. Provision of rice gruel: Famine is spreading fast with the non arrival of enough fooditems from the South by WFP. For a month to feed the IDP population the need is 695lorry loads - 6950 Metric Ton. 5100 MT Basic food items such as rice, flour, dhal andvegetable oil. These basic items should be brought by WFP and to be distributed as dryrations to IDPs. Supplementary food items - other items needed for cooking amount to1850 MT. Totally 6950 MT. The need for a day in Vanni is 170 MT – 17 lorry loads. Forthe month of February the amount of food items came to Vanni so far is 50 MT – 5 lorryloads. This is not enough even for one day’s distribution.TRO has organized to open 6 gruel (Kanji) distribution centres in six zones which wouldgive solace to the starving people. TRO is planning to open six more as the demand isever increasing – altogether 12 centres for kanji distribution with provision of milk (usingmilk powder packets) to infants.With the participation of other cooperative societies and administrative service 18 morecentres - 3 for each of 6 centres will function for the same purpose of providing kanji toall and milk to infants.

3. TRO has started constructing 60 wells - 10 in each zone along the coastline. Theyare called ‘Kottu – Palmyra tree trunk wells’ – by digging sandy soil and induct 2 or 3plastic barrels (if Palmyra tree trunk is not available) into it. Already 40 wells have beenbuilt. TRO has come forward to build 300 more wells – additional 50 wells for each of 6zones. This should be completed before 8th of March 2009.TRO has promised in the coordinating meeting to build 30 toilets - 5 in each of 6 zones.These toilets will be built on the other side of the road leading to shrubby forest lands.With the participation of Fishemen’s Cooperative Federations additional 1000 toilets will be built in a short period of on coastline.

Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) has evidence that 12 counts of the crime of genocide have been committed against the indigenous civilian Tamil population of Sri Lanka outside of any conceivable war or conflict zone, for example, affecting temples, churches, schools, and hospitals. TAG used the legal services of Bruce Fein, Esq. 1 to produce a 3-volume 950+ page model indictment which charges U.S. citizen and Sri Lankan Defense Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and U.S. permanent resident and Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lt. General Sarath Fonseka, with 12 counts of genocide, and 106 counts of war crimes and torture, in violation of U.S. domestic statutes 18 USC � 1091, 18 USC � 2441, and 18 USC � 2340A. TAG submitted the model indictment to the U.S. Department of Justice on February 5, 2009 for the US Attorney General to initiate a grand jury investigation aimed at filing a federal criminal case in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

"It is with some hesitation that we publish these photographs of Sri Lanka's Genocidal onslaught on the people of Tamil Eelam - photographs which may offend the sensibility of many. But the brutal nature of Sinhala Sri Lanka's continuing genocidal onslaught on the people of Tamil Eelam must be exposed. 

Jean Paul Sartre was right when he declared in 1967 that "against partisans backed by the entire population, (occupying) colonial armies have only one way of escaping from the harassment which demoralizes them.... This is to eliminate the civilian population. As it is the unity of a whole people that is containing the conventional army, the only  anti-guerrilla strategy which will be effective is the destruction of that people, in other words, the civilians, women and children..."  

Each picture published here speaks a thousand words and exposes not only the horrific war crimes committed by President Rajapaksa and the Sinhala forces under his command but taken together they also  reflect the political reality that it is the unity of the entire population of Tamil Eelam in their struggle for freedom from alien Sinhala rule, that has led the Sinhala regime to believe that the ' only anti-guerrilla strategy which will be effective is the destruction of that people, in other words, the civilians, women and children...' President Rajapaksa and his ruling coterie may believe that they are being effective but they have fanned the flames of an enduring and deep rooted anger and resentment amongst more than 70 million Tamils living in many lands. "

Sri Lanka preparing to house 200,000 war refugees in 'welfare villages' - AP Report

Sri Lanka is preparing to house 200,000 civil war refugees at five huge "welfare villages" - complete with post offices, banks and libraries - where it expects them to stay for up to three years, according to a government plan.

The draft plan, which the government has circulated among international aid groups and donors in recent days, surfaced as tens of thousands of civilians fled the northern battlefield where Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces have been waging heavy battles.

The government's preparations appear to lend support to Red Cross estimates last month that 250,000 civilians were trapped in the war zone. The government says the number is less than half that, giving a much less dire assessment of the potential humanitarian crisis.

Aid workers and Western diplomats have expressed concerns about the treatment of the ethnic Tamil civilians in the camps and are worried the proposed plan would keep the displaced from returning to their homes while the military spends years searching the jungles and villages for the last remnants of the Tamil rebels.
 

"It is with distress and concern that TRO Headquarters – Vanni notes the departure of the expatriate staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross from the LTTE controlled Vanni.
 
The ICRC has been the only international organization functioning in the Vanni for the past four months after the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) ordered all of the United Nations Agencies (UN) and international Non-Governmental Organizations (iNGOs) out of the Vanni on 15 September 2008.
 
The departure of the ICRC removes the last international witness to the GoSL’s attacks on the over 300,000 Tamil civilians in the Vanni. The ICRC has, in the past two weeks alone, witnessed and reported to the international community via press releases, several incidents of bombing and shelling of hospitals, churches, temples and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces which killed hundreds of civilians. In the past two months alone, the GoSL’s shelling and bombing has killed over 1000 civilians and more than 4000 have been seriously injured." more

Thousands of civilians were seen Monday fleeing in all directions from the 'safety zone' as mortar, artillery and Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) rockets hit the entire area demarcated by the Colombo government as safety zone. At least 36 civilians were killed and 76 wounded throughout the day in Va'l'lipunam, Chuthanthirapuram and in Maaththa'lan. The entire 100-houses-scheme located in Chuthanthirapuram was burning following MBRL attack with shells that caused immediate fire.

Civilians fleeing 'safety zone' further into LTTE held areas

Many had fled the 100-houses-scheme already and the remaining stayed inside the bunkers throughout the barrage. The settlement, initially set up for refugees from Mannaaar, is located on Udaiyaarkaddu Chuthanthirapuram Road. Several thousand people were fleeing safety zone further into LTTE controlled areas. But, not all have fled the security zone as most of the casualties were reported on the roads on Sunday.

Casualty figures from 100-houses-scheme was not known.

6 civilians were killed and 12 wounded when they were fleeing Chuthanthirapuram and Theavipuram. 4 dead bodies of civilians were brought to Chuthanthirapuram hospital. At least 16 civilians were killed in Maaththa'lan and 49 were reportedly wounded. Five members of a single family were among the victims, the reports said.  7 civilians, including 3 children, were rushed to hospital with serious burn injuries following the artillery and MBRL barrage. 3 more civilians were killed in Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) attacks and 15 sustained injuries.

At least nine people were killed and at least 20 others injured as a result of the first three shellings. The hospital sustained direct hits three times in less than eight hours: twice between 3 and 4 p.m. local time, then again at 10.20 p.m. local time. On Monday evening at 6.40 p.m., the hospital was hit a fourth time.

On Sunday the hospital's kitchen was hit first, then its church and later a ward with women and children. On Monday it was another ward. It is likely that there were casualties outside the hospital, too, but we do not have the exact figures yet. Despite the shelling, people injured in the ongoing fighting continue to arrive at the hospital.

When it was hit the third time, more than 800 people, including 500 in-patients, were sheltering in the hospital.

Two other medical facilities in the Vanni region have also been hit by shelling in recent weeks, and again today. This is unacceptable. Wounded and sick people, medical personnel and medical facilities are all protected under international humanitarian law.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells throughout the whole day on Monday from all directions into civilian refuges. At least one hundred civilians could have been killed or maimed in the indiscriminate barrage. The casualties are uncountable as the whole population is forced to reside inside the bunkers throughout the whole day, reports TamilNet correspondent. “Monday was the worst day of SLA shelling so far within the safety zone.”

More than 5,000 artillery shells and Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) rockets have been fired by the SLA.

Both the hospitals at Puthukkudiyiruppu (PTK) and Udaiyaarkaddu have been hit by the shelling also on Monday.

Thousands of shells have hit Theavipuram, Va’l'lipunam, Chuthanthirapuram, Udaiyaarkaddu and Puthukkudiyiruppu.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) shelled Puthukkudiyiruppu (PTK) hospital Sunday night killing nine civilians, including patients and their family members in the ward. More than 15 civilians were injured. The indiscriminate attack on the hospital has caused panic and tension among the hundreds of wounded civilians at the hospital. The shelling has come despite repeated calls from the medical authorities not to fire shells on the civilian medical facility and within a few hours of a public statement from the ICRC, which said it was shocked by the shelling on hospital twice in recent days. Meanwhile, a source at Vavuniyaa District Secretariat told TamilNet Monday that it was a premeditated massacre as the military was given instructions by the SL Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to isolate hospitals from civilian access by artillery barrage.

"Three artillery barrages struck a hospital in Sri Lanka’s chaotic war zone, slamming into its pediatrics ward and its women’s wing and killing nine patients," Associated Press report said quoting ICRC.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan military commander of Vanni SF-HQ had instructed the Government Agent of Mullaiththeevu district to shift the hospital to safety zone, giving an ultimatum to the officials. However, as the attacks continued, the ICRC and UN officials had to seek refuge at the hospital in PTK.

Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital has also been the place of refuge for the ICRC officials and the UN staff.

Article 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that the civilian hospitals organized to give care to the wounded and sick, the infirm and maternity cases, may in no circumstances be the object of attack, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict.

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is a signatory to the First, Second and Third Geneva Conventions and it ratified the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, by accession to it, on 23.02.1959.

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The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), in a statement issued from Colombo Sunday expressed shock at the shelling of Puthukkudiyiruppu Hospital a second time in a week, and said "wounded and sick people, medical personnel and medical facilities are all protected by international humanitarian law. Under no circumstance may they be directly attacked," pointing an accusing finger at the Government of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) without mentioning either by name.

Full text of the news release follows:

Sri Lanka: Vanni hospital shelled

"We're shocked that the hospital was hit, and this for the second time in recent weeks," said Paul Castella, head of the Colombo delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "Wounded and sick people, medical personnel and medical facilities are all protected by international humanitarian law. Under no circumstance may they be directly attacked."

The hospital currently has over 500 in-patients, some of them still waiting to be transferred to the government-controlled area for more adequate treatment. Despite today's attack, people injured by the fighting continue to arrive at the facility.

The ICRC has been supporting the hospital's staff by setting up a makeshift structure for triage, receiving ambulances, and helping to clean the facility. It has also provided mattresses for patients who find themselves in the corridors because there is no longer any room in the wards.

"The staff are under acute stress, surrounded as they are by the sound of the ongoing fighting and the influx of new patients," said Morven Murchison-Lochrie, an ICRC medical coordinator, who is present in the hospital. "Ambulances are constantly arriving, but people are also being brought in by wagon, pick-up truck, tractor and even motor scooter." Despite this, she said, the staff remained inventive and committed to caring for the injured and sick who had made the dangerous trip to the hospital.

Appealing to those involved in the fighting, Mr Castella said: ''The ICRC calls on both parties to respect their obligation to spare medical facilities and activities, as required by international humanitarian law in all circumstances."

ICRC staff are present in the hospital and, together with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, continue to support the Ministry of Health staff caring for the injured and sick there.

 "Oscar and Grammy award nominee, Eezham born music phenom, Maya Arulpragasam, in the PBS interview on Tavis Smiley show Thursday told the U.S. listeners and fans worldwide that "there's been a systematic genocide which has quiet thing because no one knows where Sri Lanka is. And now it's just escalated to the point there's 350,000 people who are stuck in a battle zone and can't get out, and aid's banned and humanitarian organizations are banned, journalists are banned from telling the story. "

"..Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said no civilians had been killed, though some forced to build fortifications by the rebels - known formally as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - might have been wounded in crossfire. "There were no civilians killed," he said. "We are targeting the LTTE. We are not targeting any civilians so there can't be any civilians killed."

However an internal U.N. memo sent from the office in Colombo to U.N. headquarters in New York said local workers and their relatives - 95 civilians in all - came under repeated artillery and machine gun fire as they sought refuge inside the government declared "safe zone" for ethnic Tamil civilians inside rebel territory.

The memo said the government ordered the group - which was stuck in rebel-held territory because the Tamil Tigers would not give them permission to leave - to relocate Saturday to the refuge. They quickly established a new base there complete with bunkers, but that evening, they were nearly hit by a shell..."

"Civilians who have been caught by the Sri Lanka Army recently in Vadamaraadchi East in Jaffna and from Murasumoaddai in Ki'linochchi district, who are confined to the 'detention camps' run by the Sri Lankan military, have complained to their relatives that the Sri Lankan soldiers have taken several women into their custody and were sexually abusing them, said Jaffna district parliamentarian S. Gajendran on Wednesday. Those who continue to justify and abet the on going war against Tamils and those who directly or indirectly advocate surrender of Tamil civilians to their adversaries are a party to war crimes, he further said.

Stating that the relatives of victims in Sri Lankan custody in Jaffna, Vavuniyaa and Mannaar have come with shocking stories of sexual violence meted out to their relatives and family members, the parliamentarian said there is a volume of allegations and a long history of sexual abuse by the Sri Lankan military, which consists of 99% ethnic Sinhalese.

Due to the long culture of impunity enjoyed by the Sinhala dominated military, the families being held under a continuous threat to their lives and honour in the Sri Lankan custody are unable to come out and complain the most inhumane crime of war that is taking place silently, charged the Jaffna district parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

It is an inherent culture in the Sinhala army to use the weapon of rape .. It is not only rape, but the open exhibition of Sinhala chauvinism’s insatiable desire to see Tamils naked, whether man, woman, dead or alive that needs attention of the civilized world, the MP commented. .."

Addendum by tamilnation.org The hundreds of Tamils raped by Sri Lanka armed forces include Ambalavanar Punithavathy, Thanuskodi Premini,  Ilaiyathamby Tharshini, Thambipillai Thanalakshmi, Velu Arshadevi - Mahendiran Nageswari - Vijayaratnam Subashini, Thangiah Vijayalalitha,  Sinnathamby Sivamany, Yogalingam Vijitha - Ehamparam Wijikala, Sathasivam Rathykala, Sarathambal, Ida Carmelitta, Koneswary, Velan Rasamma,  Velan Vasantha, Rajani Velauthapillai, Selvarajah Renuka, Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, and Lakshmi Pillai...

"Sri Lankan soldiers have raped both women and young girls on a massive scale, and often with impunity, since reporting often leads to reprisals against the victims and their families.." World Organisation against Torture

"The Sri Lankan security forces are using systematic rape and murder of Tamil women to subjugate the Tamil population... Impunity continues to reign as rape is used as a weapon of war in Sri Lanka." Asian Human Rights Commission

"..On average, a Tamil woman is raped by members of the Sri Lankan security forces every two weeks. The real number is inevitably higher since many cases are unreported. Every two months a Tamil woman is gang-raped and murdered by the Sri Lankan security forces." Statement by NGO, Women Against Rape, at United Nations Commission on Human Rights

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Over the last 24 hours over 300 civilians who were awaiting relief and medical assistance within the “Safety Zone” declared by the Government of Sri Lanka have been killed and several thousand injuredin Udaiyaarkaddu, Suthanthirapuram, and Vallipuram in the Mullaitivu District by Sri Lanka Army multi-barrel artillery and mortar shelling by the Sri Lanka armed forces.

Voice: Eyewitness account from S. Thayalini Part I  - Part II

"In a scene of carnage of untold proportion on civilian targets hit by hundreds of Sri Lanka Army fired artillery shells, more than 300 people have died and several hundreds are bleeding to death within the last 24 hours, amidst pouring rain inside the 'saftey zone' declared by the Colombo government. Houses and vehicles burn for a stretch of three km between Va’l’lipunam Kaa’li temple and Moongkilaa’ru towards Paranthan road, reports from Vanni said on Monday. Unattended bodies and injured people unable to move are lying around everywhere, while a remaining doctor fled and helpless ICRC officials virtually cried at the scene from their bunkers, TamilNet correspondent said.

Nearly 400,000 people have been told by the army to confine themselves to a stretch of 30 square km. A part of this terrain is marsh and jungle. People have flocked themselves in the remaining patches of coconut groves and they stay there without any amenities or food and with the risk of being attacked even in the ‘safety zone’.

There is only one road in the locality, which is choked by fleeing people. Even this road is targeted by barrage of shells and people have died. The shelling prevents even people from fleeing.

The exact number of people died could be more, as it is not possible to take a count in the other places.

Those who are injured are sure to die, as the remaining two hospitals, which were functioning at Udaiyaarkaddu and Va'l'lipunam (Mullaiththeevu hospital), are defunct now.

The injured, if cannot move on their own, are left unattended to bleed to death.

The fleeing people, including infants had nothing to eat, mother of a three months old child, S. Thayalini, told TamilNet correspondent.

"It is not merely a humanitarian crisis, but a shame on human civilization. What a world, watching and abetting the whole thing, having no conscience, said K. Kamalanthan," a social activist who talked to TamilNet while fleeing Udaiyaarkaddu.

In the mean time, Indian and International News Agencies operating from Colombo publish no accounts of the mass genocide, taking place in Vanni. They continue to eulogize Colombo’s military victories, painting a picture of LTTE ‘terrorists’ using civilians as human shield.

These news agencies, which had no guts of finding out what is happening on their own, are spinning stories for the government and are a shame to the profession of journalism and to the Information Age. They cannot deny their role of being a party to the war crime, said a Tamil journalist among the IDPs.

URGENT APPEAL from the civilians in the Vanni to:
The Government of India, President Obama, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the international community

TRO is making an urgent appeal to The Government of India, President-Elect Obama, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the international community to appeal to the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to cease attacks on civilian targets; allow unfettered humanitarian access to the Vanni by the UN and international NGOs; and to allow all necessary essential humanitarian assistance into the area.

The Sri Lanka Armed Forces continue to bomb and shell civilian areas including: internally displaced person camps, hospitals, churches, temples, and school while the international community remains silent. These attacks have caused the deaths of over 50 civilians in the past month injuries to hundreds.

The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) also restricts and bans the transportation of essential humanitarian emergency relief to the 350,000 displaced persons in the Vanni. Currently there is not sufficient food, medicine, shelter, fuel, water & sanitation and educational materials to meet the bare requirements of these Tamil civilians.

Displacement continues from areas south of Mullaitivu and East of Kilinochchi due to ongoing military offensives by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. These displaced include internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been displaced from other parts of the Vanni, some up to ten times and new IDPs who had been living in the villages where fighting is taking place. The population of the Vanni is approximately 450,000 persons. Currently, 350,000 of these persons are displaced.

TRO requests that the Government of India, President-Elect Obama, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the International Community pressure the Government of Sri Lanka to:

1.Cease all bombing and shelling of civilians and civilian institutions such as hospitals, schools, temples, churches and civil administration buildings;

2.Declare, in consultation with the LTTE and the ICRC, safe zones/havens for IDPs and other civilians;

3.Allow UN & international NGOs to enter the Vanni and remain there to assist civilian IDPs;

4.Open the border checkpoints so that ambulances can transport the severely wounded civilians to hospitals;

5.Allow the unfettered transportation of humanitarian relief to the Vanni. This includes: food, medicine, shelter materials (tents, tarpaulins, etc), fuel, and other essential items.

SLA shelling kills 22 civilians, wounds 60, targets humanitarian supply centre

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has continued artillery shelling on densely populated 'safety zone,' in Chuthanthirapuram, Udaiyaarkaddu and Thearaavil in Visuvamadu throughout Sunday, at least twice attacking the vicinity of the supply centre, located at Chuthanthirapuram playground, the only centre in Vanni where humanitarian supplies brought in by the UN World Food Programme are distributed. Two shells exploded in the premises, killing five members of a single family of Mr. Jegatheeswaran, owner of a saloon displaced from Visuvamadu. Five more civilians, including children and women, were also killed. Body parts were scattered across the locality and not all of them could be identified, according to medical sources. At least 13 civilians were wounded at the site.

At least 22 civilians have been killed in various localities inside the 'safety zone' throughout Sunday. More than 60 civilians, including children and women, have been wounded in a number of artillery attacks from 2:45 a.m. till 9:15 p.m. Sunday, according to TamilNet correspondent in Vanni.

Heavy fighting was heard throughout Saturday night at distance in Mullaiththeevu town, which has been vacated by civilians.

But, without any provocation from densely populated civilian areas, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stepped up shelling on Chuthanthirapuram playground, where WFP humanitarian supplies are stockpiled for distribution to the civilian population. Officials responsible for food distribution were stationed at the centre and their vehicles were also parked in the playground.

As this report was being filed, a fresh attack was reported Sunday evening around 9:15 p.m. in front of the food supply centre where a Pi'l'laiyaar temple is located. Artillery shells exploded in the environs of the temple. At least 25 civilians were wounded and civilian volunteers were struggling to transport the wounded to hospital. It was not possible to gather a clear picture of the total casualties in the latest barrage.

Earlier in the day, 3 civilians were killed at Thirukkangkaadu near Thearaavil in Visuvamadu. 9 civilians were wounded.

Artillery shells exploded inside the 100-houses-scheme settlement at the centre of Chunthanthirapuram. 6 civilians were killed and 12 wounded in the colony Sunday noon.

The breakdown of the remaining casualties was not known.

"The message the Sri Lankan forces were passing to the civilians of Vanni, by repeated and unprovoked attacks, is that they should subjugate themselves by walking into the territories in the hands of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA)," commented the TamilNet correspondent. " People are not prepared to surrender themselves. They seem very concerned of the future course of the struggle and were concerned of their sons and daughters."

"The Sri Lankan military is testing the breaking point of the people."

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continued artillery shelling on Udaiyaarkaddu on Saturday killing at least 7 civilians. At least 87 civilians have been wounded in the indiscriminate shelling up to 5:25 p.m. Shells exploded inside the hospital premises of Udaiyaarkaddu. At least 60 shells exploded behind the hospital premises (Udaiyaarkaddu school) around 3:45 p.m. Four civilians were killed on the spot. Vehicles were seen on fire at Udaiyaarkaddu junction. Medical authorities said the hospitals were struggling to cope with a high number of civilian casualties.

Five civilians, including a10-year-old girl and a 56-year-old Saiva priest, were killed and 83 civilians wounded Friday when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells targeted 'safe zone' areas such as Iruddumadu in Udaiyaarkaddu and Va'l'lipunam in Mullaiththeevu district at least four times, according to medical sources in the region. More than 20 of the wounded people were children. More than 20 of the wounded victims are children.

The shelling and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) rocket fire targeted the villages Thearaavil, Mayilvaakanapuram, Iruddumadu, Va'l'lipunam and Theavipuram at 10:45 a.m., 11:00 a.m., around 2:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.

A 10-year-old girl was killed Thursday night around 11:00 p.m. at Moongkilaa'ru where Ki'linochchi district Government Agent's office is situated.

A Saiva priest, identified as Sivam kurukkal, was killed at Mayilvaakanapuram at 6:00 a.m. Friday.

Two dead bodies of civilians, killed in Va'l'lipunam and Theavipuram, were taken to Putukkudiyiruppu (PTK) hospital mortuary. One of the slain victims was identified as Thuraisingam Paranthaman.

An elderly man was killed and 34 civilians were wounded in the shelling at Iruddumadu around 10:45 a.m.

SLA launched artillery fire Friday around 6:00 a.m on the IDP settlement in Mayilvaakanapuram killing a Saiva priest, Sivam Kurukkal, 56 and seriously injuring four including the priest’s son, Kukaran, 17.

The three others injured are Lembert, 46, R. Ravichandran, 46 and Mariyamma, 36. The injured are admitted to Mallaavi hospital displaced to Moongkilaa’ru due to SLA shelling.

Village Officer P. Sabaratnam, 48, Ketheeswaran, 51, A. Prasath, 14, K. Thevi, 50, Isayarasi, 11 Isaivaa’ni, 10 and Isaiyarasan, 7, were seriously injured in the above shelling.

SLA shelled the IDPs in the ‘safety zone’ declared by the government Friday at 10:45 a.m and again at 11:00 a.m killing an elderly person and seriously injuring 34 IDPs.

The seriously injured IDPs are Pushpavathy, 65, Perumal Kurukkal, 71, K. Kowsitha, 20, K. Balabaskaran, 42, Kangampikai, 30, Vijay, 12, Visihithira, 10, Vithusan, 04, T. Piriyarasa, 30, S. Vikinarasa, 52, V. Senamitha, 17, Kowthami, 17, Kamalampikai, 45, Yarlnilavan, 09, Laxsumy, 60, Neyanathan, 24, Kiri, 35, Vadivalakan, 21, Mathivanan, 28, Thayalini, 19, Pushpathevi, 65, Yogalingam, 42, Uthamani, 50, Yarlinpan, 19, Kiritharan, 26, Yarlanpan, 26, Latheepan, 20, Sathiyasoroopan, 29, Eelavan, 19, Kiruban, 12, Mathiyalakan, 22, Thambirasa, 30, Piratheepan, 23 and Alexan, 13.

Two IDPs were killed Friday in the SLA artillery fire on the IDP settlements in Va’lipunam and Theavipuram areas. One of the two killed was identified as Thuraisingam Paranthaman and the other is not identified.

The IDPs injured in the above shelling are Veerabahu Kanapathipillai, 72, Nakuleswaran Jeyakumari, 40, Baskaran Shanthakumari, 40, Veeratheeran Thanusalini, 03, Asaipillai Deluxi, 11, R. Pirabathevi, 50, V. Pirasath, 16, Nirusan, 12, Arunthathi, 42, Anusa, 03, Jeyakumari, 40, Thanabalan, 32, P. Shanthakumari, 37, T. Sobana, 28, T. Thamilventhan, 24, K. Jeyakumari, 30, P. Rathi, 42, Jenifet, 32, S. Selvaroopan, 28, K. Jegatheeswaran, 42, Nadarasa Narenthiran, 22, Jeganathan Sarswathy, 47, Paramalingam Losini, 40, Kanagalingam Mathusa, 14, Nallathamby Parameswaran, 30, A. Sasikumar, 30, Nitharsan, 19, K. Visuvalingam, 52, Nagalingam Nadarasa, 56, Nadarasa Nagendran, 22, Nallamma, 71, Ulageswari, 50 and P. Kularany, 50.

The two IDPs injured in the SLA shelling Friday around 6:00 p.m in Udayaarkaddu are Panugopan, 21 and Rajeev Thamilini, 23.

 

The roads of Va'l'lipunam and Theavipuram are full of blood and dead bodies are spotted all over the places in the area that has come under attack by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire. The carnage worsened after the SLA declared the area as "safe haven". On Tuesday, 16 civilians were killed, 20 reported killed Wednesday and around 30 civilians within the past 12 hours of Thursday, according to Regional Director of Health Service (RDHS) for Mullaiththeevu district. Dr.T.Varatharajah.

Many more are feared dead and wounded in the indiscriminate bombardment which has been stepped up on densely populated IDP areas within the secure zone. Meanwhile medical staff at the hospital said there were more than 200 wounded within the last 3 days.

The Iniya Valvu Illam is a children's home for the vision, hearing and/or speech impaired in Vallipuram, Mullaitivu. The children's home is registered with the Govt of Sri Lanka. On 22 Jan 2009 the Sri Lanka Army shelled this childrens home injuring 6 people. ICRC had informed the Govt of SL of the GPS location of this children's home.

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the surgical site of the Mullaiththeevu hospital, functioning as a makeshift hospital at Va'l'lipunam school, were damaged in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery fire Wednesday night and Thursday around 12:20 p.m., after the Sri Lankan government declared that the area where the hospital is situated is a "secure zone", medical authorities at the hospital said Thursday. Five civilians were killed within the hospital premises Thursday, according to Dr. T. Varatharajah, the Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS). The RDHS confirmed that the ICRC had verified that the Sri Lankan military had received the GPS coordinates of the hospital and said he was in constant touch with the ICRC, located just 1 km away from the hospital.

Meanwhile, TamilNet correspondent who visited the hospital after the attack, witnessing the situation said that the medical facility which was serving scores of wounded civilians was rendered completely out of function following the attack and that he witnessed one of the worst inhuman scenes at the 'Peace Village,' which has been the village of one of the most cruel civilian casualties of Sri Lanka's so-called 'War on Terrorism'.

The hospital resumed its activities as ICRC visited the site again.

The RDHS confirmed to TamilNet that two shells exploded inside the hostel of the hospital at 12:20 p.m. The ICU and Surgical Units were attacked Wednesday night, he said.

There are several dead bodies on the sides of the road and under the trees of the hospital, TamilNet correspondent said. All the medical staff and the patients who managed to move themselves sought refuge in the bunkers and continued to remain there as shells exploded.

53 school girls were killed in the old Chenchoalai premises, which came under Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombardment on 14 August 2006.

Despite repeated calls from the medical authorities, placed through the ICRC, there has been no improvement in Sri Lankan forces conduct on attacks against the hospital in recent months.

Article 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that the civilian hospitals organized to give care to the wounded and sick, the infirm and maternity cases, may in no circumstances be the object of attack, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict.

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is a signatory to the First, Second and Third Geneva Conventions and it ratified the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, by accession to it, on 23.02.1959.

" Narrow roads. Labyrinth of death. Broken vehicles parked by roadside made the roads more narrow. According to practical regulations imposed by local authorities for managing emergency situation only one row of vehicles can go upward while downward another row of vehicle can come in. Two rows up and down can move simultaneously with great difficult of maneuvering. It normally works well. But when a vehicle is broken in the middle of the road – even when it is parked sideway mayhem erupts. Two vehicles can’t pass at the same time. Thousands of vehicles – lorries, canters, tractors with trailers, land masters, motor bikes and cycles with hundreds of thousands of people moving both ways get stuck into the long lasting standstill. No move. The fear of shell attack on the roads – crowded by fleeing thousands of IDPs make more of them to move into that quagmire.

It happens many times in a day. To dismantle each knot of standstill it takes many hours. While this hectic hour prolongs endlessly without any warning a shell fell in the midst of the pool of people and vehicles. A tractor was burning along with the driver. Following that a cluster of bombs fell with nasty destruction effect with the sound of thunder and lightening.

The people were lying down cover. The spot when the shell fell was strewn with blood, bones and flesh. At that time a whole family of 2 children, father and mother were wiped out. They could not be identified immediately. No body was in full shape. All parts have to be swept into a big heap. Then the injured were crying and howling with pain for help. Blood was everywhere – on the ground and all over the bodies of the injured. A woman was calling hoarsely for help. Her both legs were dangling from her hip – pouring blood profusely onto the ground making the earth bloody red..."

Fifteen civilians including 5 children were killed and 29 seriously injured in the relentless artillery barrage that Sri Lanka Amy (SLA) kept pounding the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Visuvamadu, Udaiyaarkaddu, Chuthanthirapuram and Maa'nikkapuram areas in Mullaiththeevu district Tuesday, sources in Vanni said. SLA continued its artillery barrage on the IDP settlements Monday from 11:00 a.m till 12:30 p.m in Chuthanthirapuram and Theavipuram areas in Vanni killing two IDPs and seriously injuring nine including children.

SLA targeted the IDP settlements behind the Pi'l'layaar Koayil in Chuthanthirapuram junction Tuesday around 1:45 p.m, killing two including a boy.

Two civilians killed were identified as 12-year-old Alagan Pirasanthan and Manickavasagar Sivayogam.

A girl and a youth were blown to pieces while 29 persons including children were seriously injured in the SLA artillery shelling on the IDP settlements in Kuravil area in Udaiyaarkaddu.

The seriously injured IDPs are: Mariyathas, 52, Akamathi, 11, Manonmani, 68, Kavitha, 30, Jeyarooban, 14, Anbarasan, 07, Kirubakaran, 18, Pathmanathan, 44, Raveenthiran, 36, Kalyani, 34, Ravichelvan, 33, Arulanantham, 53, Kankamma, 63, Ravichandran, 39, Paramalingam, 40, Vaksala, 17, Chandiraraj, 14, Sasitharan, 30, Thineshkumar, 30, Rathinakumar, 28, Y. Suresh, 32, S. Rejitha, 15 and Niroshini, 37, Lyon, 47, Sivakumar Ratha, 36, Seeralakan, 23, S. Pirabu, 32, I. Nagarasa, 50, I. Sutharsini, 52 and S. Kalyani.

SLA shelled Tuesday around 4:45 p.m the IDP settlements in Chuthanthirapuram East killing 11 innocent civilians including 3 children.

Sinnathurai Mathanakumar, 33 is one of the three killed and others whose bodies brought to Udaiyaarkaddu, Naddaangka’ndal medical clinic remain unidentified.

Some of those killed are persons belonging to one family.

Nine IDPs seriously injured in the above shelling are, Kannan, 25, Karuna, 38, Kugathas, 30, Saithanya, 18, Thevan, 22, Vasantha, 42, Kanesan, 36, Velautham, 52, Yogalingan, 46.

Meanwhile, an IDP from Maa’raailuppai was killed in the SLA shelling on Theavipuram Tuesday while 10 were seriously injured.

Kaathi Shanmugasuntharam is the person killed and the 10 seriously injured are, K. Ravi, 36, M. Kalaichelvan, 31, R. Sulakshan, 07, Kanagalingam, 55, Vekavanam, 25, Jeyaratnaa, 11, Anbarasan, 07, Thangaiah, 57, Mahinthan, 29, Nagarasa, 39.

The above are admitted to Mullaiththeevu Public Hospital functioning in Va’l’lipunam.

The IDPs on the run lack food, drinking water and medicine as these essential items have become scarce in Vanni.

The two killed in Theavipuram Monday are V. Kirupakaran, 40, displaced from 7, Old Colony in Maangku’lam and Nanthakumar, 30, displaced from Madduvil.

The seriously injured in Theavipuram are K. Chanthirasekaran, 38, A. Saraswathy, 59 and Vekananthan, 35.

The IDPs who sustained serious injury in Chuthanthirapuram are R. Thurairasa, 75, M. Sivakamy, 55, Chudaravan, 04, Kanimozhi, 08, Chinthuja, 07 and Ponnambalam, 74.

The bodies of three IDPs killed in the SLA shelling earlier in Visuvamadu area are kept in Ki’linochchi hospital which is now displaced to Visuvamadu due to relentless SLA shelling.

Two of the bodies were identified as of Sri Pathmanathan Subakaran displaced from Aananthapuram in Ki’linochchi and Arunasalam Kanapathipillai, 72, displaced from Uruththirapuram.

The third body is of an elderly person around 60 years of age.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) fighter jets bombed Chuthanthirapuram area Monday around 12:30 p.m while SLA shelled the IDP settlement again around 3:00 p.m Monday.

"The Government of Sri Lanka’s land, air, and naval military operations over the past year have created a humanitarian crisis unprecedented in the history of the 25-year conflict. This crisis has gone largely unreported in the international media due to the fact that the government has banned the media from the Vanni (LTTE controlled area) and ordered the United Nations (UN) and international NGOs out of the area in September 2008. This military offensive has resulted in over 362,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Some of these civilians have been displaced repeatedly, some up to 10 times.

In 2008 the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) unilaterally withdrew from the Cease Fire Agreement that it had entered into with the LTTE in 2002, and embarked upon the current military offensive. It is the civilians who have been most severely affected by this return to war.

In the Vanni alone thus far, the bombing and shelling by the GoSL military forces over the past year has killed 352 civilians. Most of these civilians have been babies, young children, school students and women. Overall, 2632 civilians have been confirmed killed and more than 6700 injured over the past 2 years in the NorthEast as a result of military actions by the GoSL. Additionally, over 6,000 people have been disappeared or extra-judicially killed by GoSL forces or paramilitaries affiliated to the government."

Catholic priests and other religious leaders in Vanni, in an urgent letter appealed to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, to "take immediate steps to stop the senseless war and put an end to the untold sufferings of the innocent civilians," and said that the "root of the on going war is the Structural Injustice, a vehement denial of equality and dignity of the Sri Lanka Tamils..."

"Displacements continue unabated as a result of aggressive artillery poundings and aerial bombardments in and around civilian settlements," and nearly half a million people are forced to live in Mullaitivu district alone, the letter said.

"Even schools, hospitals, places of worship, civilian settlements etc., the security and safety of which are guaranteed in the Geneva Convention on the Conduct of War, are not spared in this aggressive war," the letter said.

With shrinking geographical territory "it is becoming almost impossible for the people even to move towards "safer" areas, away from the battle fields. A great human tragedy has exploded in Wanni. Such a gruesome experience is unprecedented in the recent history of these people," the Priests said in the letter.

The Priests urged the Secretary General to "kindly take the necessary steps to bring the parties to the conflict to the negotiating table in order to find a humane and just and lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka."

Jaffna Bishop Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam has urged the Sri Lankan President and Commander-in-Chief of the Lankan armed forces to stop all shelling and aerial bombings at civilian places in Vanni, in an urgent letter sent to President Mahinda Rajapaksa Monday, before the latest mass exodus towards Puthukkudiyiruppu. "It is the duty of the Government to open a safe corridor for the safety of the civilians. Please stop all shelling and aerial bombings at civilian places," the Bishop said in his letter titled "Humble but urgent request to stop shelling on civilian places in Vanni."

Owing to the ongoing shelling and aerial bombings by the Sri Lankan forces on civilians who have taken refuge on the Paranthan Mullaiththeevu A35 Road, the people are getting killed and many sustain injuries daily, the Bishop said in his letter to Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The displaced innocent people are in terrible plight, the Bishop said and noted that he had urged the people to gather in the churches and temples. The preists are also with the people, he said. "Churches and temples are traditionally places of refuge in time of danger in our country," the letter said. However, the situation has worsened to deadlier scales within the last three days, after the letter from the Bishop. The scale of displacement is such that all the civilians could not be accommodated only in churches and temples. The whole area is full of displaced civilians, according to latest reports.

There are also reports of artillery shells exploding inside the premises of Athisaya Vinaayakar temple in Visuvamadu. Earlier, Colombo had announced the whole area as a secure zone, but later intensified attacks inside the region, also dropping cluster bombs on civilian settlements.

Indiscriminate artillery, multi-barrel and mortar fire by the Sri Lanka Army from all the corners of shrinking territory centering Puthukkudiyiruppu town, its suburbs and adjoining jungles in the Mullaiththeevu district, which is overcrowded with civilians, has worsened the humanitarian tragedy that has been unfolding in Vanni during the last 4 days. There are deaths and injuries caused to the civilians fleeing the onslaught of the SLA. Medical authorities said the situation was beyond control Friday noon and the hospitals have come under attack and ambulances were not operating. Access route from Vadamaraadchi East has been cut off by the SLA that has entered Chu'ndikku'lam area.

Mullaiththeevu Puthukkudiyiruppu land route also remained blocked due to indiscriminate mortar attacks. The entire area with civilians has come under artillery range. Gunfire was heard in all the directions.

Unless the shelling is stopped, every shell being fired into the overcrowded area would cause civilian casualties. The fate of the patients and staff at Kallaa'ru hospital is not known.

The access route for civilians to cross over into Vanni mainland from Vadamaraadchi East has been blocked by the SLA, according to initial reports.

Medical personnel at the hospital in Visuvamadu said the situation was pathetic as SLA-fired shells were exploding in the close vicinity. SLA shelling has targeted Vallipunam, Chuthanthirapuram.

There are reports of civilian deaths and casualties in Visuvamadu town being vacated by the civilians. Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) attacks targeted Athisaya Vinayakar temple area in Visuvamadu, causing panic among the fleeing civilians.  Detailed reporting and verification of casualties have become difficult under the prevailing circumstances.

"All cases of deaths and injuries caused by bombing and shelling in Vanni are taken to either Kilinochchi or Mullaithivu hospitals. Both districts have a Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) under whose supervision the government hospitals in that district function. Many of these hospitals are presently functioning in displaced locations. All the information provided in this report is obtained through the above mentioned hospitals and in some  cases the homes of the victims are visited to obtain further details. If anyone wishes to confirm the reports of incidents noted in this report they can contact the respective Regional Director of Head Services (RDHS) by the phone number provided below."

"..There have been no reports of fighting in densely populated areas. However, the SLA has been continuing artillery attacks and gunfire. The adjoining areas of makeshift hospitals in Visuvamadu and Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital have also come under artillery fire by the SLA, which is driving civilians away from Tharmapuram and Vaddakkachchi by intensifying bombardment.

Meanwhile, hospital authorities in an urgent appeal issued Tuesday afternoon have urged the ICRC to at least take efforts to safeguard the hospital premises from the Sri Lankan shelling.

28 civilians have been killed from within the 13 days from 01 January and 185 wounded. Blood was not available at Puthukkudiyiruppu and makeshift hospitals.

As hospitals were displacing to relatively safer areas, there are more wounded from all corners being rushed to the makeshift hospitals functioning in schools and under trees.

Puthukkudiyiruppu Road was fully busy with displacing civilians."

"53,273 families have been displaced in Mullaitvu District. In that 35,268 families are receiving WFP dry rations. For the month of November only 11.5 days of dry rations have been provided to the above number of IDPs by WFP convoys. In the month of December, as there was no stock in hand first week dry ration was not distributed. Only the second week quota was given. Third week has come. But so far food convoy has not come. As on 15th December our stock in our hand is 341 Kg. rice, 3124 kg of flour, 16,458.32 kg of dhal, 12,187.04 kg of sugar and 437.09 kg ofc vegetable oil. People are facing severe hardships with out food while there is heavy rain and there are no work opportunities. Every month in 202 lorries with 2021 metric ton food items should come in the WFP convoys. For a week 473 metric ton food in 48 lorries should come, according to GA’s office of Mullaitivu."

"Between 1:30 and 1:55 am on Saturday 29 November 2008 the TRO Kallaru Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp (also called: Tharumapuram Kallaru Ranimayanathan Scheme or Ulavanoor Kudiyiruppu settlement) was bombed by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF). The SLAF dropped 16 Russian made cluster bombs killing two civilians (a 5 year old child and an 80 year old man) and injuring 19 others (10 children were among the injured). A 77-year-old woman lost her left arm and a 39-year-old man lost his left leg.

The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) ordered departure of the UN and international NGOs from the Vanni on 15 September 2008 has removed the independent, international witness to attacks such as these against civilians. TRO appeals to the international community and the Tamil Diaspora to pressure the GoSL to allow the UN and international NGOs to return to the Vanni on a permanent basis so that they may provide humanitarian assistance to the 300,000 IDPs, conduct needs assessments, and serve as a witness to the sufferings of and attacks on Tamil civilians."

There were five major bombing and shelling attacks on civilians in Vanni during November 2008 and also one on 1 December. All five attacks caused large number of injuries among children and caused two child deaths. In total there were three civilian deaths in these attacks and a total 26 civilians were injured, including nine children. A claymore attack also took the lives of three civilians including that of a child. Details of these six attacks are described in this report. There were several other injuries and destruction caused by artillery shelling..

A  bomb  with Russian markings dropped on 29 November that did not explode is pictured above. Other pieces of the unexploded bombs are also shown below.

Note that the left picture appears to be a parachute. These bombs are considered to be of the type cluster bomb which contain several smaller bombs inside and cause damage to wide area thus often having disastrous effects on civilian population. For this reason there is currently an international push to ban this type of bomb. Several countries have already announced that they will not use these bombs. Sri Lanka is counted among a few countries that have a stockpile of these bombs and are continuing to use them.

"Instead of promoting human rights throughout the world, Sri Lanka has used his position within the Council to avoid scrutiny as a violator of human rights" Nobel Peace PrizeWinner, Adolfo Perez Esquivel

"During our visit, we realized that people in Mannar, the residents as well as the displaced, live in fear and with a feeling of hopelessness. Catholic clergy and religious we met on the eve of our departure re-affirmed this, acknowledging that in the context of Mannar, a priority in their ministry is to give people hope, and they seek to do this by various interventions that give witness to the truth regarding the plight of the people and coming forward to assisting and protecting victims, survivors and family members of human rights violations, often at great risk to themselves. Clearly, there is a total lack of confidence of ordinary people, church leaders and civil society and even senior government civil officials about possible redress mechanisms available to the public. We also saw clearly that the civil administration in Mannar exits only in paper and name, and that key decision that affect civilian life is taken by the security forces, side lining and not even consulting the civil administration, leave alone civil society and ordinary people. It appeared that Mannar is a defacto military junta. The considerations for decisions that affect civilian life are based on military and political priorities, with minimal or no consideration of humanitarian needs. Sri Lanka's international human rights commitments and even the fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens also clearly have no place in Mannar"

"..We call ourselves Christians. We proclaim that we follow Jesus who lived and died for the oppressed. Isn�t it a crime for us to call ourselves Christians and to live as deaf and blind people amidst our oppressed Tamil brothers and sisters who cry for freedom to live in peace in their own land and homes? You may not agree with me but I would say this is a wiping out or slow genocide of the Tamil people from their own land..."

" For more than one and a half years now, this (Jaffna)  peninsula has been cut off from the rest of the island, after the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) closed the only land route through the narrow strip of land, thus isolating its more than 400,000 residents. This one and half year history of isolation adds to the already unique history of this peninsula in a spectacularly terrifying manner. People have been "marked, stalked and hunted for pleasure" in this period ... The other aspects of this one and half year history are what ought to be studied, for it gives not only staggering lessons on how to "manufacture consent," it also exemplifies how the world can turn a blind eye to such staggering "consent manufacturing.""

Sri Lanka Army DPU Claymore Mine attack on Civilians

"gruesome, terrorist attack by a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) on a civilian bus travelling to Paalampiddi from Madhu at 2:25 on 29 January 2008. The attack killed 20 people, 11 of whom school children, and injured 14, eight of whom were children." says Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation