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  INDICTMENT AGAINST SRI LANKA
The Charge is Ethnic Cleansing
DETENTION WITHOUT CHARGE,
DISAPPEARANCES & TORTURE - 1988
[see also Rajiv Gandhi's War Crimes]
"Thousands of people were detained without charge
or trial, and dozens 'disappeared' following arrest by
the Sri Lankan security forces and by the Indian Peace
Keeping Force (IPKF) deployed in the northeast. The
fate of hundreds who had disappeared in previous years
remained inadequately investigated. There were
many allegations of torture.
Emergency Regulations were amended to permit the
disposal of bodies by the police. There were widespread
reports of extra judicial killings by Sri Lankan
security forces, who were among those granted immunity
from persecution retroactively for offences committed
'in good faith'." - Amnesty International
Annual Report, 1989 for period January to December
1988
"...I have no doubt that when this letter is made
known to the outside world, it will serve as the cause
of my death...Sixteen of us, including myself, are
locked inside one room. The remainder are locked in two
other rooms. I have no communication whatsoever with
the persons in the other two rooms. In the morning and
in the evening we are allowed outside our room for 15
minutes to wash and to go the toilet. A bucket is
provided inside the room for us to excrete into, if the
need arises at other times.
The food that is given to us is not food that we are
used to, and because of this we have several loose
motions and if the sentries do not allow us out, we
excrete into the bucket or into small bags. The smell
inside the room is nauseating. We are given food daily
at 10 a.m. and in the evening at 4 p.m.. There is no
light inside our room...Nobody outside knows about that
which is happening here and here we do not know what is
happening outside. But it is certain that the Indian
Government is telling the outside world lies about our
position." - from a letter in Tamil
addressed to Chris Nuttal of the Guardian, by a detenu
whilst being held in custody in an Indian Army Camp in
early 1988
"We have received more than one report from different
sources in Sri Lanka expressing serious concern about the
build up of Indian forces in the Eastern Province and the
possibility of a repetition of the offensive against the
civilian population in Jaffna last year...
Human rights organisations in Sri Lanka are demanding
that the Sri Lankan authorities allow the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to monitor any,
military operations and to protect the civilian
population as far as possible...
It was because the ICRC were denied access to the North
that a huge loss of life and casualties occurred amongst
the civilian population there. We urge the international
community to prevent a repetition of that tragedy..."
- Lord Avebury, Chairman UK Parliamentary
Human Rights Group - Press Statement, 4 March
1988
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