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United States & the struggle for Tamil Eelam
US Tamils call for stop to extra-judicial killings by Sri Lanka
29 May 2006
In recent weeks, hundreds of Tamil civilians, including women and
children, have been murdered with impunity, in GOSL controlled areas
of predominantly Tamil speaking North East (NE), by Sri Lankan
security forces and paramilitaries. In one case, nearly 20 Tamils,
including infants, were murdered.
Senior Tamil political and civic leaders and journalists have been
favored targets. Many Tamils have also been victims of GOSL aerial
bombing and artillery attacks on civilian areas, and of security
force supported mob violence aimed at ethnic cleansing of historical
Tamil city of Trincomalee.
Scandinavian Cease Fire Monitors have declared that members of GOSL
forces and paramilitaries are involved in extra-judicial killings.
Under the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), and as affirmed at the
Geneva meeting, GOSL should have disarmed paramilitaries. Activities
of paramilitaries are currently the biggest threat to the peace
process.
The killings are continuing and Tamil civilians in NE are being
terrorized by design. Even international NGOs helping Tamils have
recently become targets. Now, GOSL armed forces are forcibly
preventing Tamil civilians fleeing for safety to areas in NE outside
GOSL control, or to India. GOSL has also failed to provide relief to
tens of thousands of newly displaced Tamils in NE
As usual, no one has been charged in the killings. This is hardly
surprising since GOSL forces, including Police, are 99% from Sinhala
majority, and President Rajapakse and his allies have taken a very
hard line, ruling out power sharing or devolution arrangements for
Tamils in NE.
Moreover, it was Mr. Rajapakse and his allies who killed in 2005 the
US sponsored scheme for distribution humanitarian tsunami aid to
Tamils in NE. NE had suffered over 60% of total tsunami damage, on
top of the damage from years of civil war.
If the CFA and the peace process are to be saved, extra -judicial
killings and other violations of human rights of Tamils must end and
those responsible be punished, and paramilitaries be disarmed.
We call on the US Administration to ensure that these are
implemented immediately by the Government of Sri Lanka.
Association of Tamil Americans
Federation of Tamil Association of North America (FeTNA)– USA
Illankai Tamil Sangam – California, USA
Illankai Tamil Sangam – Florida, USA
Illankai Tamil Sangam – USA
Ilankai Tamil Sangam – Houston, Texas, USA
Ohio Tamil Association – Ohio, USA
Tamil Refugees Rehabilitation Organization - California
Tamil Youth Organization - USA
Tamil Welfare and Human Rights Committee – District of Columbia, USA
World Tamil Organization - Illinois
World Tamil Women Organization – USA
World Tamil Coordinating Committee – USA
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