Killed: Murugesu Markandu (62), Murugesu
Shanmugarathinam (56), Rathinam Sarawathy (59), Shanmugaratnam Sasi (20),
Shannmugaratnam Krishanth (18)
Statement by the Norwegian Facilitator, Geneva 29 October 2006
�The consultations took place in Geneva on 28-29 October 2006
following requests by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to
meet to discuss humanitarian issues and political questions. At the
Co-chair meeting in Brussels on 12 September, the Tokyo co-chairs
(EU, Japan, USA and Norway) encouraged the parties to meet for
consultations...
Both parties reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire
agreement and promised not to launch any military offensives.
The international community has repeatedly expressed that it expects
the parties to show restraint and fulfil these commitments...." |
 The
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) that
promised to halt the military offensives at the negotiation table,
in front of the International Community in Geneva, has sent a
"message of terror" within 24 hours of LTTE delegation's arrival in
Kilinochchi by conducting
a "gruesome" aerial attack
killing an innocent family and terrorising the patients at the
General Hospital premises, said Political Head of the Liberation
Tigers, S. P. Thamilchelvan, following the Sri Lankan aerial attack
in the heart of Kilinochchi town Thursday. Hospitals which serve the
most humanitarian need and deserve utmost protection from any acts
of violence, have now become targets to GoSL's campaign of terror,
he added. "The International Community should have no reservation in
condemning this gruesome act," Mr. Thamilchelvan said.
The International Community was witness to the GoSL delegation's
expressed commitment to ceasing violence and halting all offensives
in order to create and sustain a conducive enviornment for the peace
process, he said. "This is certainly not the way forward in creating
and sustaining the kind of atmosphere for talks," Thamilchelvan
said. Sri Lankan Government has once again proved it was engaged in
"state terrorism," he further charged. LTTE Political Head further
accused the Government of Sri Lanka for not having cooperated with
the ICRC in declaring the hospital surrounding as a safety zone,
according to Geneva Conventions.
5 killed,
SLAF attacks hospital surrounding in Kilinochchi, 500 patients flee hospital
Five members of a family were killed when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets
dropped 16 bombs within 500 meters east of the newly built Kilinochchi General
Hospital at Anandapuram around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, 2 November 2006. One was
seriously wounded. Around 500 patients warded in the hospital, among others
mothers with newly born babies in their hands and severely wounded patients from
earlier SLAF bombings, were forced to leave the hospital premises. Explosion
shock shattered hospital window-glasses and fans fell down while the patients
were having lunch in their beds, doctors told TamilNet. Tension prevailed in
Kilinochchi town following the aerial attack.
The bombs hit a house, within 500 meters east of the hospital at Anandapuram in
Kilinochchi along the A9 landroute. The victims were identified as Murugesu
Markandu, 62, his brother Murugesu Shanmugarathinam, 56, and sister Rathinam
Sarawathy, 59. Two sons of Mr. Shanmugaratnam, S. Sasi, 20, and S. Krishanth,
18, both studying GCE A/L, were also killed and their house was fully destroyed.
Only survivors of the family were the mother, a teacher, and her daughter, both
of whom were at school during the attack.
Doctors evacuating the patients from hospital also complained
that Colombo had been delaying in extending ICRC protection to the hospital.
There was no LTTE military installation near the hospital, the doctors added.
Students at Central College and Technical College located near the hospital were
caught in shock. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials visited the vacated
Hospital following the attack. One of the 16 bombs did not explode.
[Text added from TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006]
School attendance in Kilinochchi dropped Friday and hundreds of
patients stayed away from Kilinochchi hospital which was evacuated Thursday
following the SLAF attack on a civilian family. A heart patient died at the
hospital due to the blast shock and most of the patients who were forced to
leave the hospital Thursday, were yet to return to hospital, the doctors said.
Relatives of patients were seen at the hospital to receive medicines. Normally
the hospital treats around 700 outpatients a day. Only 119 were registered at
the hospital's clinics Friday.
One student broke his legs and another was wounded when students Friday ran in
panic after observing Kfir jets. The student was treated at the orthopaedic
department at the hospital, medical sources said.
Two of the five members killed Thursday in Kilinochchi
air-strike, were Advanced Level (A/L) students from Kilinochchi Central College.
The victims were buried Friday at Uruthirapuram, in Kilinochchi
district.Hundreds of people, including political leaders, religious dignitaries,
principals, teachers and students attended the funeral. LTTE's Political Head
S.P. Thamilchelvan addressed the mourners at the funeral house.
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