INDICTMENT AGAINST SRI LANKA
The Charge is Ethnic Cleansing
HOSPITALS BOMBED
IN TAMIL HOMELAND
- November 1993/January 1994
On 12 November 1993,
at about 2.30 p.m. Sri Lankan supersonic jets bombed the
safety zone around the Jaffna Hospital. The bombs were
dropped within 50 yards of the main entrance to the
Hospital. This area is under ICRC control. Doors, windows
and tiles of the Hospital were broken and fell in pieces.
The outer wall of the OPD came tumbling down. Glass
shutters of some vehicles within the hospital were
shattered. Two security guards of the hospital, a Red
Cross volunteer worker, and an infant in the hands of a
woman who rushed into the hospital for safety were
injured.(Hot Springs Weekly, Jaffna, 21 November
1993)
Killinochchi Hospital was targeted on 15
November. ''As a supersonic bomber flew over our
hospital, those inside fearing that bombs may fall became
very agitated. There was pandemonium. Many of the
patients lay down under their beds in fear. Some went
outside and laid themselves face downwards on the
verandah and on the ground. I remained inside my office
in the ward. Everywhere large swirls of dust and debris
were deposited. I felt as if my uniform and belt was
being ripped out by somebody in a twinkling of an eye.
After that I did not know what happened.''
''This is how Acting Matron Sinnathangam
Mahendrarajah, who was injured in the aerial bombardment
of Killinochchi Hospital on (15 November) Monday morning
at about 10.30 am. described the incident. Sinnathangam
Mahendrarajah made the statement from Vav-uniya Hospital
where she had been taken for treatment.''
''In this bombardment, the maternity ward and the out
patients department of the Killinochchi Hospital were
badly damaged. As a result a mother and child who were in
the ward died. Many others were injured. At the time of
the bombardment the maternity ward had 14 mothers and
seven babies. They escaped with minor injuries.''
''The Acting Matron describing her shock at what had
happened went on: ''Aerial bombardments have occurred
several times in the Killinochchi District. But the
Hospital had not been attacked before this. That is why I
had not taken any special precaution.'' - (Colombo
based Virakesari , 21 November 1993)
The Kodikamam Hospital came under fire from a Sri
Lanka Air Force helicopter on 11 January at about 8.00
a.m. The helicopter fired at random at the
Mirusuvil-Kodikamam main road, hitting the hospital as
well. Some houses in the area and the hospital were
damaged.(Network, March 1994)
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