Updated 23 December 2013 from BBC News 9 November 2013.
During the CHOGM meet the issue was brought forth, reports BBC.
‘
As Commonwealth leaders prepare to meet at a summit in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, allegations of rape and torture by the Sri Lanka security forces have emerged, some of them occurring four years after the civil war ended.
“When the lady left and that man closed the door, I knew what was going to happen,” says Vasantha. “They raped me.”
One evening earlier this year, Vasantha says, she was going back to her home in northern Sri Lanka when a white van drew up and two men asked for her identity card.
She says she was thrown into the back of the vehicle and blindfolded.
Watch Our World: Sri Lanka’s Unfinished War on BBC World News on Saturday 9 November at 11:30 GMT and on Sunday 10 November at 17:30 GMT and 22:30 GMT or watch it later on the BBC iPlayer.
Vasantha says she realised the authorities had finally caught up with her, four years after the war and just as she was about to leave for Britain on a student visa.
Her story is one of a number given to the BBC, horrific accounts of torture carried out long after hostilities ended.
During the civil war, Vasantha had helped Tamil Tiger rebels pass messages and set up safe houses in the capital, but she says she never took part in the fighting or held a gun.
Then, the United Nations observers were asked to leave by Sri Lanka’s government; the UN ordered them to clear out, and this left the Tamils at the hands of the SinhaleseBuddhist regime of Sri Lanka President Majinda Rajapaksa, to die without witness… but not completely.
As these terrible photos testify, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers like to photograph their handiwork. They rape and abuse women, murder them, and then abuse their corpses, for the camera.
Many Tamils recorded the attacks they suffered, and a great deal of media was preserved somehow, even though so many of the people who took the pictures and video died.
Where their images of suffering and death end, the SLA soldier’s videos and photos begin. There have been officers of the Sri Lankan Army who have stepped forward to corroborate some of the darkest claims. Sri Lanka denies journalists access to the war zone, many disappeared people remain missing, stories of secret camps are rife, torture is commonplace”
Can there be anything more vile than this?
Abusing the raped Dead.A heap of Rapes.Taking a Snap of the Raped Dead.Yet Another bunch
Sri Lanka , in a Most insensitive approach , has declared a Museum trumpeting its win over Terrorism/Tamils.
This is a Photo Essay chronicling the Genocide of The Tamils by Sri Lanka.
Truce monitor examines the bodies of two youth abducted in the Sri Lanka Army-controlled area. Photo TamilNeMutilated Bodies.
Embraced Death in Pairs.Killed while riding.
Hung to DeathCan You locate the face?
Bodies piled up like Cattle.
The terrible problems taking place in Palestine, which we write about frequently, are just one part of a torturous puzzle of bad intent born from human greed that spans parts of the Middle east.
This is especially easy to believe when examining the genocidal deaths of more than 300,000 Tamil men, women and children, estimated to have been killed or disappeared.
In 2009 alone, more than 35,000 Tamils are estimated to have violently or needlessly lost their lives. Because of the fear and desperation put forth by this, about 1.1 Million Tamils have fled the country.
The numbers are horrible, and include over 600,000 Tamil internal refugees (Internally displaced or evicted). And while this has taken place, more than 20,000 Tamil children have been orphaned and denied the possibility of living a normal life with their families.
And along with this, more than 35,000 Tamil widows.
If it’s over LTTE or The Tamils , the Sri Lankan Government would not have gone ahead and displayed its cheap and vulgar display of the decimation of the LTTE as it has done now, as if to rub salt in the wounds of The Tamils.
If a Nation destroys Terrorism , it does not display its ‘win’ by a museum.
How many Museums have been set up in The UK on IRA, Israel on PLA, Al Fatah.Italy of Red Brigade,US on The Killing of Osama Bin Laden, India on the killing of Bhindranwale, or the win over Pakistan in the creation of Bangladesh?
If you were /are assisting the Minority Tamils from The clutches of The Terrorists , is it the way you go about it?
Photo on The Genocide in Sri LankaSri Lanka War Memorial
Nor would the use of Tamil in the Museum(?) where only Sinhalese and English are displayed.
Probably you are driving even hard-core moderates into embracing Extremism.
Do you want to solve the problem of The Tamils to be solved or is it your ploy to drive them out of Sri Lanka?
If it is the latter, Sri Lanka is quite mistaken.
Sri Lanka will be reviving Tamil extremism again.
Despite some world countries protecting Sri Lanka, China and Sri Lanka for its Human Rights violations in wiping out the Tamils by genocide,the World opinion ( of the people , not necessarily Government’s) will force you to do what you dread ‘Separate Tamil Elam‘
The Museum or the vulgar show of strength would be the final nail of the coffin of a Unified Sri Lanka!
While people talk much about the genocide and the declaration of Rajapakshe as a War criminal, I feel that not enough attention is paid to the Reconstruction activity for the Tamils remaining in Sri Lanka.
The Government insists it is developing the area well and the additional financial in lay is required.
Detractors declare that no activity is taking place and even where they are on , they are done in such a way as to ensure the Sinhalese dominance like resettling Sinhalese in these areas.
Apart from this , the Northern administration is making an all out attempt to humiliate the Tamils, as reported by hindering the developmental activities by constructing Walls in the Land donated for redevelopment.
1. Militarization of the area(from open democracy)
Tamil women in Mullaitivu, north-east Sri Lanka. Locals say the wait for justice and reconciliation continues. Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
As Enloe states, “militarization does not just happen: it requires decisions, many decisions, decisions made by both civilians and people in uniform”. Likewise, in Sri Lanka, the fact that private citizens and corporate entities provide donations to the aforementioned army’s welfare programmes rather than working with local community and social service groups illustrates the entrenchment and normalisation of militarization.
A disturbing aspect of the army’s philanthropic initiatives is the indication that they appear to view these as part of a charitable impulse dedicated to a population which in turn is expected to show servility and gratitude. This is demonstrated by phrases – such as, ‘grateful beneficiaries’, ‘charitable deed’ ‘this act of benevolence by the security forces have (sic) brought great joy to the children’ – used by both military officials and the MOD in speaking or writing about these activities.
In many instances the normalisation of militarization is aided by the dire economic circumstances of the conflict affected people, who due to lack of other livelihood opportunities take up employment with different sectors of the military machinery, such as the CSD which recently employed a large number of persons in Kilinochchi in agricultural farms which ironically were previously managed by the LTTE. It should be noted that instead of providing viable livelihood options to the conflict affected, the states appears to be offering opportunities mainly in the defence industry to those living in the former LTTE controlled areas. ..
As per the complaint allegedly from your office – I am not able to work out what the law says. If I were to take it that your actions were lawful and work backwards from the effects / outcomes I am able to work out your (interpretation of the) law / policy. According to that – we the donors do not have access to the main-road. Nor do the folks who sought the donation. Only you have access. It is to demonstrate this ridiculous outcome that we erected a fence around our part of the land – leaving a small opening for those who come into our premises to draw water from our well. When you showed no concern at all about this – we used our interpretation of common principles and our Truth as stated above – and erected the Gates towards orderly entry into our premises. At that time no one from that area – including your officers – objected nor did they say whether it was right or wrong. Later when we sent the Plan towards building the boundary wall, our coordinator who works at the Council asked one of the Council officers towards his own knowledge and informed me that we had to all 10 feet from the center of the road. To me this was hearsay. Yet I asked our Coordinator as to why he did not raise this when the front gates were installed. He said that a mistake had happened. I then instructed the team to move the gate at the beginning of the boundary wall further 2 ½ feet inside. Unless I had knowledge that the law said otherwise I used my common knowledge as per my life in Sri Lanka and in Australia. That was how the plans for the Temple extension, the cottage and the boundary wall were drawn up. The Plans were drawn by our son Pradeepkumar Paramasivam – Civil Engineer cum Architect. Our son-in-law David Springford also an Engineer and Architect made an overall contribution. We have brought these professional skills and standards to Thunaivi through this work. The Council driven by your office has behaved as if Australian money is good but not Australian skills and standards. In other words your office has thus behaved using the Council as your messenger. Due to the Government’s failure to practice the Doctrine of Separation of Powers in relation to the dismissal of the Chief Justice – questions are being raised in educated circles on the basis of this Doctrine. Your management of this issue is also reflecting such weakness….
3.Development activity as reported by The Government of Sri Lanka.
The Salient features of the Resettlement policy are:
From The Guardian UK.Need permission to bury the dead!
“Three years after its civil war, Sri Lanka has emerged as a middle-income country on course to meet most of the millennium development goals. GDP rose by around 8% during 2011 and tourism is set to bring in more than $1bn this year. Yet this national success story obscures the tale of an unsettled north that remains under military control.”
Barring the 1965 Anti-Hindi agitation , Students of Tamil Nadu have never been as vehement, relentless and devoid of Political color as one against the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka and Rajapakshe.
Tamil Nadu Students agitate against Sri Lankan Genoicde of Tamils.Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Their demands are for separate Tamil Elam,or Peaceful resettlement of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, Investigation of War Crimes by Sri Lanka nd the decalaration of Rajapakshe as a war criminal.
They are justified in what they are doing , in the absence of a concerted effort to mobilise Public opinion against Sri Lanka by the Indian government.
For political reasons, nay, personal gains of not being arrested and for power the DMK which has been a part of the Government till yesterday ,a party to support Sri Lanka and the apathy of the other parties, barring Vaiko and Jayalaithaa,the former relentlessly championing the cause in Intentional Forums and the latter by doing whatever possible as responsible CM in a federal set up.
That the DMK has started the TESO comedy is for Public consumption and the withdrawal from the Government a few days ago on Tamils Issue.
Already the DMK is sending feelers to Congress for the Alliance for the coming elections.
Now what is needed is a Peoples Movement ; just as for the Anti Hindi Agitation.
That was apolitical in nature and a genuine effort on the imposition of Hindi against non Hindi speaking States.
Annadurai jumped into the wagon in the last stage to reap a political advantage.
But for Tamil Nadu’s step Hindi would have entered in the non Hindi belts.
The present agitation is also non political where no voice against or for any political party is raised in the agitation of these students.
Though there are some violent incidents reported, the agitation has by and large been peaceful.
The other agitations by the students were failures in Tamil Nadu as they have been tainted with Politics and politicians muddling the issues.
Students, keep up the pressure.
More important do not allow politicians to sneak in whoever it might be.
Do not give room to violence.
You will succeed in making Delhi see reason and stop cuddling up to Sri Lanka under the pretext of Security and checkmating China.
”
Chennai,Mar 20 (TruthDive): Anti-Sri Lanka protests raging in Tamil Nadu are termed by the political experts as the biggest upsurge that the State is witnessing after the anti-Hindi agitation led by DMK in 1965. The massive student protests are now spreading like forest fire to cover other sections of the society, never before seen in the State after 1965.
Demanding a separate Eelam for the Sri Lankan Tamils, all sections of the society are now joining the battle including Madras High Court advocates, Chennai’s wholesale vegetable & fruit market,Koyambedu traders, pro-Tamil outfits, industrial workers from Sriperumbudur, cottage industry workers from Coimbatore, textile industry workers from Tirupur and Tamil refugees at Pudukkottai refugee camp to show their solidarity with the protesting student community of Tamil Nadu.
Apparently, the unprecedented breakout of agitations against Sri Lanka in Tamil Nadu has shaken up the island nation to the extent that a travel advisory has been issued by the country’s Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday following incidents of assaults on Buddhist monks in Chennai and Thanjavur.
It is also learnt that the Sri Lankan Airlines has reduced its flights to Chennai by half and Sri Lankan tourists are cancelling trips to India.
About 40 of the Tamil Nadu Youth Front members burnt copies of the US resolution on Sri Lanka opposite Loyola College in the city.
Around 150 members of the Students Federation of India staged a demonstration in front of Shastri Bhavan in Chennai that houses the key central government offices in the city. The agitating students were taken into custody by the police and released later.
75 VCK cadres staged a rail roko at the Thiruvanmiyur MRTS station and were arrested.
300 supporters of a political outfit, Bharat Hindu Munnani blocked a train at the Perambur railway station here.
Demanding a referendum in Sri Lanka, members of All Engineering and Arts and Science College Students Federation were restrained by police personnel when they attempted to enter Tiruchi railway junction in a bid to stage a rail roko according to reports from The Hindu.
It may be recalled that the Tamil Nadu government has ordered indefinite closure of 525 engineering colleges affiliated to Anna University and 438 arts and science colleges in the State with an objective of diluting the student agitations that are rocking the state of Tamil Nadu. Nevertheless, students have strengthened their protests by holding fasts, processions, rallies, burning effigies of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapkse near government establishments across Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Salem, Thanjavur, etc.
The Tamil film industry, including directors, artists etc showed their support for the students by observing a day’s hunger strike at Valluvar Kottam yesterday.
“The Madras anti-Hindi agitation of 1965 are a series of agitations that happened in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu (formerly Madras State) in 1965. The agitations involved several mass protests, riots, student and political movements in Tamil Nadu, and concerned the official status of Hindi in the state and in theIndian Republic.(Wiki)
You must be logged in to post a comment.