Human Right watch which will be submitting its Report to UN on Monday,disclosed that The Tamil Women were raped by The Sri Lanka Security forces,’to teach them a lesson”
There seems to be no end to the atrocities being perpetrated by The Sri Lanka Government.
The UN must ensure that this report is not also NFAd(No Further Action)
In one of the most repugnant images yet seen during the so-called War on Terror, A Tamil woman between 20 and 30 years of age lies dead in the mud after being raped and shot to death by nationalist Rajapaksa military forces during the ethnic cleansing of 2009. As an increasing body of evidence now illustrates, scenes like this were common throughout the north of Sri Lanka despite initial claims by government sources that incidents of this type were exceptional. In an attempt to explain this behaviour, the Sri Lankan military have claimed that disrobing and open handed detailing of bodies is required to search for weapons, explosives or documents as standard operating procedure. In many of these incidents, females have been found naked, blindfolded with clothing removed just enough to expose sexual organs with hands tied behind the back and gunshot wounds to the head. In almost all cases, females are found in face up positions with their legs splayed. It should be noted that the operation conducted by nationalist forces in Sri Lanka has not been made possible by competent anti-terrorist training for the role, or a degree of professionalism, but by a sudden influx of finance and military weapons and ordnance from the United States and China. This influx simply brought the Sri Lankan military into a position in which it had the military capability to overshoot its natural lack of competence.
Story.
Amidst reports of widespread sexual violence by the Sri Lankan army on suspected LTTE rebels, the Human Right Watch (HRW) has sought an international investigation.
The investigation demands came after a report, ” ‘We will teach you a lesson’: Sexual violence against Tamils by Sri Lankan Security Forces“.
The report is said to have contained a list of 75 cases of rape and sexual assault. These incidents happened all across Sri Lanka, from 2006 to 2012.
The majority of the cases are said to have happened during the armed conflict (with LTTE) that ended in may 2009.
The conflict ended almost three years ago, but the incidents of sexual violence continues till this day, the report quoted.
The revelations were confirmed by HRW Asia Director Brad Adams.
“The Sri Lankan security forces have committed untold numbers of rapes of Tamil men and women in custody. These are not just wartime atrocities but continue to the present, putting every Tamil man/woman arrested for suspected LTTE involvement at serious risk”, he was quoted in a news report published in national daily the Hindu.
Adams further reiterated the necessity of an international investigation into the alleged crimes.
Innumerable accounts of gross atrocities have emerged since the conflict ended.
Sri Lankan security forces are accused of blackmailing and sexually harassing Tamil men and women to extract information from them related to LTTE.
One account of 31-year-old women describes how she was blackmailed by the forces in revealing her husband’s details.
She was mercilessly beaten by a sand-filled-pipe and raped.
Another account of 23-year-old women was abducted and questioned for her alleged links with LTTE.
She was raped for three consecutive days and forced to perform sexual acts with number of men. In the end, she was asked to sign a piece of paper where she confessed her link with the LTTE.
Even men were not spared from the sexual violence.
Graphic accounts of extreme sexual violence gave a glimpse of the atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan security forces to crush the rebellion against its government.
The cold blooded killing of Prabhakaran’s 12-year-old son published in Britain daily – The Independent – has raised questions over Sri Lanka’s armed forces conduct during the final stages of the operation against Tamil Tiger rebels.
According to the report in the daily, the series of photographs taken a few hours apart and on the same camera, show Balachandran Prabhakaran, son of Villupillai Prabhakaran, sitting in a bunker, alive and unharmed, apparently in the custody of Sri Lankan troops. Villupillai Prabhakarn led the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Another photo shows the boy’s body lying on the ground, his chest pierced by bullets.
A series of photographs taken a few hours apart and on the same camera, show Balachandran Prabhakaran, son of Villupillai Prabhakaran, head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). One of them shows the boy sitting in a bunker, alive and unharmed, apparently in the custody of Sri Lankan troops. Another, a few hours later, shows the boy’s body lying on the ground, his chest pierced by bullets.
The images were taken in May 2009 at the very end of the Sri Lankan government’s operation to crush the LTTE, which had launched a bloody, decades-long insurgency against the state that led to the deaths of perhaps 70,000 people. The authorities always said Prabhakaran’s son was killed in cross-fire, as troops moved in to take the LTTE’s last stronghold, located on a scrap of coastline near Mullaitivu in the north-east of the country.
Tiger leader Prabhakaran (pictured) plays with his son Balachandran and LTTE comrades on a beach
A BRUTAL END
Balachandran was the youngest son of slain LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran
Bala was 12 years old when he was shot dead allegedly by Lankan army officials
A documentary by the UK’s Channel 4 reveals as many as five bullet holes in the child’s body
He is said to have been grilled regarding the whereabouts of his father and then brutally executed
The film shows Bala’s body with five bullet holes on it
But the images, contained in a new documentary, No Fire Zone, which will be screened at the Geneva Human Rights Film Festival during the UN Human Rights Council meeting in March, suggest the boy was captured alive and killed at a later stage.
“Next on Channel 4: Wednesday 14 Mar 2012 at 10.55pm
In 2011 Channel 4 exposed damning evidence of atrocities committed in the war in Sri Lanka. Jon Snow presents this powerful follow-up film, revealing new video evidence as well as contemporaneous documents, eye-witness accounts, photographic stills and videos relating to how exactly events unfolded during the final days of the civil war.
“In 2011 Channel 4 exposed damning evidence of atrocities committed in the war in Sri Lanka. Jon Snow presents this powerful follow-up film, revealing new video evidence as well as contemporaneous documents, eye-witness accounts, photographic stills and videos relating to how exactly events unfolded during the final days of the civil war.
The film forensically examines four specific cases and investigates who was responsible.
LTTE Prabhakaran’s Son Shot
The four cases include: the deliberate heavy shelling of civilians and a hospital in the ‘No Fire Zone’; the strategic denial of food and medicine to hundreds and thousands of trapped civilians – defying the legal obligation to allow humanitarian aid into a war zone; the killing of civilians during the ‘rescue mission’; and the systematic execution of naked and bound LTTE prisoners – featuring new chilling video footage of a 12-year-old boy who has been brutally executed.
This painstaking investigation traces ultimate responsibility up to the highest echelons of the chain of command, asking questions of both President Rajapaska and his brother, the Defence Secretary.
What is more appalling is the information that the fresh Forensic evidence is available in the Documentary that Prabhakaran’s son Balachandran Prabhakaran was shot point-blank with telltale wounds in his chest at not less than five places.
To kill a child ..even if it were to be a terrorist’s is deplorable.
Even if it is war, what about Vienna Conventions? You can be tried like Milisovich of Bosnia or Nazis for The Final Solution.
On this Single count SriLanka’s war crime is proven.
Do watch Channel 4 programme today.
In a link quoted above you shall see how Sinhalese chauvinist defend their Government.
He said: ‘There is a speckling from propellant tattooing, indicating that the distance of the muzzle of the weapon to this boy’s chest was two to three feet or less.
‘So he could have reached out with his hand and touched the gun that killed him. After receiving this wound he would have fallen backwards and it’s then that he is likely to have received these two wounds.
‘It’s likely that the shooter was standing over him while he was lying flat on the ground after the first shot. So this is a murder. There’s no doubt about it.’
The programme has also obtained unofficial footage, which suggests that his father Velupillai sustained a massive head wound – when his body was shown on television his head was covered by a rag. Separate stills see him first in uniform, then stripped naked and finally smeared in mud.
Again Professor Pounder believes he was executed. ‘This would be very typical of a high velocity gun shot wound to the head,’ he said.
‘The short clip dates from the final hours of the bloody 26-year civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the secessionist rebels of the Tamil Tigers, the LTTE.
A 12-year-old boy lies on the ground. He is stripped to the waist and has five neat bullet holes in his chest. His name is Balachandran Prabakaran and he is the son of the LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. He has been executed in cold blood. Beside him lie the bodies of five men, believed to be his bodyguards. There are strips of cloth on the ground indicating that they were tied and blindfolded before they were shot – further evidence suggesting that the Sri Lankan government forces had a systematic policy of executing many surrendering or captured LTTE fighters and leading figures, even if they were children.
The footage – dating from 18 May 2009 and which seems to have been shot as a grotesque “trophy video” by Sri Lankan forces – will be broadcast for the first time on Wednesday night in a Channel 4 film, Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished – a sequel to the controversial investigation broadcast last year which accused both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Spokesperson for Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), a US-based activist group said, “this precedent setting decision by the United Nation’s sponsored war-crimes tribunal will likely guide similar evidence admissibility determinations in ICC and ICJ proceedings. When geopolitical conditions converge and UN members haul Sri Lanka to the ICC, the alleged war-criminals then have to confront Ambassadors Butenis and Robert O’Blake’s statements in a legal setting.”
Ambassador Butenis
A January 2010 cable from US Embassy in Sri Lanka, made public by Wikileaks acknowledges that U.S. is cognizant of the fact that “responsibility for many alleged crimes rests with the country’s senior civilian and military leadership, including President Rajapaksa and his brothers and opposition candidate General Fonseka.” Ambassador Butenis further reasons the lack of progress in internal investigations: “There are no examples we know of a regime undertaking wholesale investigations of its own troops or senior officials for war crimes while that regime or government remained in power.”
The Debate is on in UNHRC to censure SriLanka for the genocide of Tamils in SriLanka.
The Resolution was moved by the US and 47 countries are to vote.
China and Pakistan have decided to support SriLanka and Saudi Arabia has already spoken in favour of SriLanka.
Resettled Tamils from SriLanka are taking regular processions in Geneva to awaken the conscience of the Countries that are to vote.
India, though the Tamils killed in SriLanka belong to the ethnic group of Tamils in India,India is callously indifferent to the extent that the Foreign Minister S.M.Krishna stated that India will decide on this issue taking into consideration the relationship of India with other Countries,meaning China.
He had also said that he is yet to know full details!
Full Details of what?
It is a fact that India contributed to the war on terrorism by SriLanka and was actively involved in the final show down between SriLankan Forces and LTTE.
Paradoxically, it was India which armed the LTTE, provided sanctuary to LTTE Supremo Prabhakaran in India.
Tamil Nadu CM Late.MGR openly donated money to LTTE.
Now the equations seem to have changed.
The same India is reluctant to censure SriLanka war crimes, which is therre for every one to see.
What is Morally Right can never be sacrificed for National Interest(I doubt whether there is any Indian interest will be served by supporting SriLanka.
India must unequivocally condemn SriLanka, censure it and impose sanctions on SriLanka.
Unfortunately those killed in SriLanka are Tamils, not Bengalis or Biharis or Sikhs.
However Channel 4 is mounting pressure on UNHRC by planning to release a documentary covering the genocide.
The Genocide was telecast on 14 June 2011 and Independent carried exclusive coverage.
The new Documentary is expected to contain additional footage to prove SriLanka’s crime.
“Fernando” was operating with Sri Lanka’s 58 Division during the final assault. He has risked his life as well as the lives of his family to speak out about the horrors he witnessed. He told Channel 4 News that men, women, and children were actively targeted with small arms by government forces.
A documentary showing graphic new footage of executed civilians in Sri Lanka, including the son of the leader of the Tamil Tigers, hopes to provide conclusive evidence of war crimes by its government.
A year after screening Jon Snow’s award-winning documentary Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields about the dying days of the civil war – Channel 4 has returned to the island to uncover more evidence of alleged abuse.
The 60-minute documentary, Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished, will be screened days before the England cricket team flies out to the country….
It comes in the wake of this week’s United States resolution to the UN Human Rights Council censuring Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa and his brother, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaska, for ‘not adequately addressing serious allegations of violations of international law during the war in Sri Lanka’.
‘This forensic investigation reveals damning new evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Sri Lankan government forces,’ said Mr Snow.
‘But it also points directly to those who may bear culpability and command responsibility for this savagery – from the military leaders who led the bloody assaults that killed civilians – to the President and his brother, the Defence Secretary, who have yet to be properly investigated and held to account.
‘It is our duty as journalists to report this evidence; it is up to the UN and the international community to initiate effective investigations and deliver justice for the thousands who lost their lives.
‘At a time when we are seeing similar carnage in Syria – this is vital work..
In the documentary, Mr Snow examines four instances of alleged war crimes using contemporaneous documents, eye witness accounts, photographic stills and trophy footage to determine how events unfolded in the final days of the war and investigate who was responsible for the carnage.
According to UN estimates, up to 40,000 civilians were killed during the conflict between the Government and rebel forces.
One of the most horrific scenes shows the bullet-riddled body of 12-year-old Balachandran Prabhakaran, son of the Tiger leader Velupillai.
Professor Derrick Pounder, a forensic pathologist at Dundee University, confirmed the boy was shot five times rather than killed in combat duty.
He said: ‘There is a speckling from propellant tattooing, indicating that the distance of the muzzle of the weapon to this boy’s chest was two to three feet or less.
‘So he could have reached out with his hand and touched the gun that killed him. After receiving this wound he would have fallen backwards and it’s then that he is likely to have received these two wounds.
‘It’s likely that the shooter was standing over him while he was lying flat on the ground after the first shot. So this is a murder. There’s no doubt about it.’
The programme has also obtained unofficial footage, which suggests that his father Velupillai sustained a massive head wound – when his body was shown on television his head was covered by a rag. Separate stills see him first in uniform, then stripped naked and finally smeared in mud.
Follow the link to view the rape and execution of Tamils(Video). Emboldened by the apathy of the international community,Sri Lanka is brazenly challenging international community.Hear the Govt.officials on the ‘Jolly good time the NCO had with the Tamil women ‘.watch the extermination of Tamils.
Scared of being taken to task, Sri Lanka is now using strong-arm tactics to arm twisting the UN.
Let not international community commit the mistake of Chamberlain or overlook this as was in Serbia.
Time to subjugate Sri Lanka. http://www.oruclip.net/video/nuyXVV_e3Fk/SHOCKING-LEAK-SRI-LANKAN-ARMY-MASS-RAPE-AND-EXECUTION-OF-TAMIL-WOMEN-REPORT-BY-AUSTRALIAN-MEDIA.html
Story:
Embassies in Sri Lanka have expressed dismay over an “intimidating” protest which has blockaded the United Nations compound in the capital.
Hundreds of people are demonstrating against a UN panel investigating alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.
Diplomatic missions including those of the UK, US and Germany said blocking access to the UN and “intimidating” its workers breached “international norms”.
There were chaotic scenes outside the UN offices as police were called in.
Ten embassies in the capital, Colombo, issued a joint statement on Saturday condemning the protests, which they said would harm Sri Lanka’s reputation on the international stage.
In the statement, they called upon the Sri Lankan government to take “all appropriate steps” to ensure the safety of the UN compound and staff.
War crimes allegations
The latest escalation comes a day after the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, urged Sri Lanka to “normalise conditions” around the UN office in Colombo after days of angry demonstrations.
On Thursday, Mr Ban recalled his top envoy to the island, Neil Buhne, and closed a regional office in Colombo.
Most UN staff managed to leave the compound after police tried to break the blockade in Colombo on Tuesday, before they too were ordered to leave by the government.
Several senior staff, however, remained inside and the protests, led by a government minister, were continuing.
Ge.Fonseka.Whether one agrees with Rajapakshe or not, it was totally wrong and reckless of Fonseka to discuss and disclose Defense details including of LTTE operations in public and declare that he differed with the Government in shooting down thos LTTE cadres who had come to lay down arms;had he felt so strongly , he should have resigned then and spoken out loudly.
Story:
A group of Army and Military Police personnel had forcefully taken away Gen. Sarath Fonseka a short while ago. He was arrested while he was having a friendly discussion with leaders of several political parties. http://www.thecolombotimes.com/defence-news/11473–gen-sarath-fonseka-arrested.html
When Gen. Fonseka was arrested the Leader of the JVP Somawansa Amarsinghe, Parliamentarian Sunil Handunneththi, the Leader of Western People’s Front Mano Ganeshan and the Leader of SLMC Rauff Hakeem were having a discussion with Gen. Fonseka after they had concluded a press conference at Gen. Fonseka’s office.
At the moment Gen. Fonseka’s office has been encircled by security forces and party leaders are stuck inside say reports .’
You must be logged in to post a comment.