Remarks Of Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka:
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sri Lanka's displaced face uncertain future as government begins to unlock the camps VIDEO
11 September 2009
Only a fraction of nearly 300,000 people who were displaced by recent fighting in the north east of Sri Lanka have been allowed to leave government camps since the war ended in May. More than a quarter of a million people remain detained and under military guard in crowded, unsanitary conditions that are still far below international standards. The government finally agreed on Tuesday to allow displaced people wishing to leave the camps to stay with relatives who were willing to accommodate them, but families of the displaced told Amnesty International they had not been consulted by the government about the process for leaving and were sceptical of the government’s screening process. Monsoon rains due in October threaten to swamp tents and flood latrines. Pre-monsoon rains have already flooded some camps and forced people to relocate within the camps. However, the government of Sri Lanka, citing varying security concerns, has continued to prevent people from leaving."If the government follows through on its promise, it could considerably reduce overcrowding," said Yolanda Foster of Amnesty International. "The next hurdle these people face is the bureaucracy associated with the government’s ‘screening’ process, which is intended to weed out members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam it says are still hiding within the civilian camp population." One family member of the displaced held at Manik Farm reacted with caution to the announcement. "The government has made many promises... we cannot be certain that our relatives will be offered a chance to leave, they will probably get caught up in unnecessary red tape and delays."Nobody but the authorities really knows how the screening works or what criteria they use to determine if someone is a security threat – all that is known is that it takes time. By the end of August, the government said that it had registered about half of the newly displaced people. This means that there must be about 130,000 to go.The government has also said that it has detained about 10,000 people suspected of ties to the Tamil Tigers – the real numbers could be higher. These detainees are held without charge or trial, in what are described by the government as "rehabilitation camps". Their whereabouts and conditions of detention in many cases are unknown. The International Red Cross (ICRC) said Friday that it is being denied access to these detainees. Incommunicado detention has been shown to greatly increase the risk of torture and extrajudicial killing. There is a long history of both in Sri Lanka.Cabinet Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in early September that the government would re-settle displaced people in the North as soon as the de-mining process was completed and infrastructure and basic services were restored. However, true reconstruction and resettlement of areas devastated by war could take many months. Playing with Words"'Resettlement', 'return' and 'release' are terms that are often used interchangeably to discuss the fate of Sri Lanka’s displaced people," according to Yolanda Foster. "Resettlement and ‘return’ imply durable solutions to the problem of displacement. 'Release' simply means people are free to go." "As an immediate matter, the government should allow freedom of movement for all the displaced, even if durable solutions such as resettlement take longer. All Sri Lankan citizens have a right to liberty and freedom of movement, regardless of where they reside. "In the case of displaced people, this means both choosing long-term accommodations and more temporary arrangements, such as staying with family members or friends. If they choose to remain in the camps for want of a better alternative, displaced people should also be at liberty to come and go."Durable solutions to Sri Lanka’s massive displacement problem will not happen overnight. De-mining, where necessary, is time consuming, costly and difficult; rebuilding infrastructure takes time. When displaced civilians are freed from camps and allowed to return to their home areas, they may well have to live in temporary accommodations for a long time while they rebuild their lives.Judging from earlier efforts to find durable solutions for displaced civilians in Sri Lanka – including people displaced by natural disasters outside the conflict zone – it could be years before many of them are effectively "settled." Controversy continues over discrepancies in the official count of people in the camps. A report from the Vavuniya District Secretary (the highest ranking local official in the area) to local police stated that as many as 10,000 displaced people who fled the conflict zone through May 2009 were unaccounted for. This discrepancy may be due to several factors: bad record keeping; some detainees escaping the camps by bribing officials; and, of most concern, the unknown fate of thousands of displaced people, many of them suspected of being LTTE cadres, in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities. Enforced disappearances have been reported by families in the camps. The government’s ban on most international protection activities remains in place. Humanitarian workers are not allowed to talk to camp inmates or to enter tents in the camps. "Without independent monitoring of the human rights situation in the camps and unimpeded human rights protection activities by humanitarian agencies, it is difficult verify these reports," said Yolanda Foster. "A transparent, independently monitored screening and registration process would provide a more accurate count of the number of people detained in the camps, would help facilitate family reunification and releases, and could help identify the whereabouts of people who may have been have arrested."
Only a fraction of nearly 300,000 people who were displaced by recent fighting in the north east of Sri Lanka have been allowed to leave government camps since the war ended in May. More than a quarter of a million people remain detained and under military guard in crowded, unsanitary conditions that are still far below international standards. The government finally agreed on Tuesday to allow displaced people wishing to leave the camps to stay with relatives who were willing to accommodate them, but families of the displaced told Amnesty International they had not been consulted by the government about the process for leaving and were sceptical of the government’s screening process. Monsoon rains due in October threaten to swamp tents and flood latrines. Pre-monsoon rains have already flooded some camps and forced people to relocate within the camps. However, the government of Sri Lanka, citing varying security concerns, has continued to prevent people from leaving."If the government follows through on its promise, it could considerably reduce overcrowding," said Yolanda Foster of Amnesty International. "The next hurdle these people face is the bureaucracy associated with the government’s ‘screening’ process, which is intended to weed out members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam it says are still hiding within the civilian camp population." One family member of the displaced held at Manik Farm reacted with caution to the announcement. "The government has made many promises... we cannot be certain that our relatives will be offered a chance to leave, they will probably get caught up in unnecessary red tape and delays."Nobody but the authorities really knows how the screening works or what criteria they use to determine if someone is a security threat – all that is known is that it takes time. By the end of August, the government said that it had registered about half of the newly displaced people. This means that there must be about 130,000 to go.The government has also said that it has detained about 10,000 people suspected of ties to the Tamil Tigers – the real numbers could be higher. These detainees are held without charge or trial, in what are described by the government as "rehabilitation camps". Their whereabouts and conditions of detention in many cases are unknown. The International Red Cross (ICRC) said Friday that it is being denied access to these detainees. Incommunicado detention has been shown to greatly increase the risk of torture and extrajudicial killing. There is a long history of both in Sri Lanka.Cabinet Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in early September that the government would re-settle displaced people in the North as soon as the de-mining process was completed and infrastructure and basic services were restored. However, true reconstruction and resettlement of areas devastated by war could take many months. Playing with Words"'Resettlement', 'return' and 'release' are terms that are often used interchangeably to discuss the fate of Sri Lanka’s displaced people," according to Yolanda Foster. "Resettlement and ‘return’ imply durable solutions to the problem of displacement. 'Release' simply means people are free to go." "As an immediate matter, the government should allow freedom of movement for all the displaced, even if durable solutions such as resettlement take longer. All Sri Lankan citizens have a right to liberty and freedom of movement, regardless of where they reside. "In the case of displaced people, this means both choosing long-term accommodations and more temporary arrangements, such as staying with family members or friends. If they choose to remain in the camps for want of a better alternative, displaced people should also be at liberty to come and go."Durable solutions to Sri Lanka’s massive displacement problem will not happen overnight. De-mining, where necessary, is time consuming, costly and difficult; rebuilding infrastructure takes time. When displaced civilians are freed from camps and allowed to return to their home areas, they may well have to live in temporary accommodations for a long time while they rebuild their lives.Judging from earlier efforts to find durable solutions for displaced civilians in Sri Lanka – including people displaced by natural disasters outside the conflict zone – it could be years before many of them are effectively "settled." Controversy continues over discrepancies in the official count of people in the camps. A report from the Vavuniya District Secretary (the highest ranking local official in the area) to local police stated that as many as 10,000 displaced people who fled the conflict zone through May 2009 were unaccounted for. This discrepancy may be due to several factors: bad record keeping; some detainees escaping the camps by bribing officials; and, of most concern, the unknown fate of thousands of displaced people, many of them suspected of being LTTE cadres, in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities. Enforced disappearances have been reported by families in the camps. The government’s ban on most international protection activities remains in place. Humanitarian workers are not allowed to talk to camp inmates or to enter tents in the camps. "Without independent monitoring of the human rights situation in the camps and unimpeded human rights protection activities by humanitarian agencies, it is difficult verify these reports," said Yolanda Foster. "A transparent, independently monitored screening and registration process would provide a more accurate count of the number of people detained in the camps, would help facilitate family reunification and releases, and could help identify the whereabouts of people who may have been have arrested."
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Tamil Medic Describes Camp Conditions VIDEO
War and disregard make Tamils hard and determined (VIDEO)
[ Wednesday, 16 September 2009, 09:58.31 AM GMT +05:30 ]
“After looking at the people dying and dead bodies everywhere, it is like nothing threatens me any more, it is like I have had the hard time in my life and I think I am prepared to take up whatever happens in life now,” says Damilvany Gnanakumar, an Eezham Tamil of British citizenship, who witnessed war and internment camp in the island of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan civil war: Damilvany's story (VIDEO)
"I'm not that old Vany that sits down and cries for little things. I'm stronger now after going through and seeing all that problem. My mind is clear now," she told Gethin Chamberlain of The Guardian in an interview Tuesday, asking at the same time, what have the people done wrong? Why are they going through this, why is the international government not speaking up for them?
The 25 years old biomedicine graduate of Grrenwich University was one of a small group of medics treating the wounded in Vanni. The pressure from The Guardian, UK, was partly responsible for her release from Colombo’s internment camp. Her horrifying eyewitness accounts not merely put to shame Colombo and the establishments of the International Community, but indicts them of serious crime against human civilisation, commented Tamil circles. Even those who now shed tears in the international community still miserably fail in recognising the fundamental need that Eezham Tamils should get independence, the Tamil circles pointed out. Damilvany born in Jaffna in 1984, and migrated to UK in 1994, chose to go to Vanni in February 2008 to serve the people. She is a classic example for the younger generation of the Tamil diaspora sharing ownership of the national liberation struggle, Tamil circles said, adding that this generation cannot be taken for a ride by anyone without resolving the fundamentals of the Tamil national question in the island.
[ Wednesday, 16 September 2009, 09:58.31 AM GMT +05:30 ]
“After looking at the people dying and dead bodies everywhere, it is like nothing threatens me any more, it is like I have had the hard time in my life and I think I am prepared to take up whatever happens in life now,” says Damilvany Gnanakumar, an Eezham Tamil of British citizenship, who witnessed war and internment camp in the island of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan civil war: Damilvany's story (VIDEO)
"I'm not that old Vany that sits down and cries for little things. I'm stronger now after going through and seeing all that problem. My mind is clear now," she told Gethin Chamberlain of The Guardian in an interview Tuesday, asking at the same time, what have the people done wrong? Why are they going through this, why is the international government not speaking up for them?
The 25 years old biomedicine graduate of Grrenwich University was one of a small group of medics treating the wounded in Vanni. The pressure from The Guardian, UK, was partly responsible for her release from Colombo’s internment camp. Her horrifying eyewitness accounts not merely put to shame Colombo and the establishments of the International Community, but indicts them of serious crime against human civilisation, commented Tamil circles. Even those who now shed tears in the international community still miserably fail in recognising the fundamental need that Eezham Tamils should get independence, the Tamil circles pointed out. Damilvany born in Jaffna in 1984, and migrated to UK in 1994, chose to go to Vanni in February 2008 to serve the people. She is a classic example for the younger generation of the Tamil diaspora sharing ownership of the national liberation struggle, Tamil circles said, adding that this generation cannot be taken for a ride by anyone without resolving the fundamentals of the Tamil national question in the island.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tamils Are Extrajudicially Kills By SLA
Following the broadcast of shocking video footage showing Sri Lanka Government soldiers executing Tamils stripped naked and hands tied behind their backs, British Television Channel-4 Monday revealed a new film that showed Tamil "victims of Sri Lanka's war suffering poor conditions in UN-funded camps." The new footage, allegedly taken by a mobile phone, was sent to Channel-4 from the group War Without Witness, and was reportedly shot two weeks ago in Vavuniyaa, in northern Sri Lanka, where more than 300,000 Tamils are being interned in Sri Lanka military supervised camps. Sri Lanka's spokesperson, while insisting that United Nations is active inside there [the camps], responded that the malnutrition statistics reflect "Western standards," indeed malnutrition is present in other parts of Sri Lanka, and also that the situation was worse under the Liberation Tigers.
Horrendous video images indicate violation of International Law - UN expert
Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, commenting on the video clip aired in British Channel-4 TV, allegedly showing Sri Lankan troops executing prisoners, stressed the need for an investigation, AFP reported. The images, which Alston described as "horrendous," indicate a serious violation of international law if found to be authentic, AFP reported Alston as saying. The video showed victims stripped naked and their hands crossed and tied behind their backs, when they were executed.
Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions
"If the government's position [of categorically denying the allegations] is validated as a result of an inquiry, the international community can rest easy and the government will have been vindicated," AFP quoted Alston as saying.Alston also pointed out that he had asked permission to visit Sri Lanka on several occasions in recent years, but Colombo had not given him the green light, according to the AFP report.Sri Lanka Army soldiers action, of stripping naked the Tamil victims before summarily executing them, is more akin to what the Nazis did to the Jews, depriving their victims of the last shred of their humanity before dying," Professor Boyle of Illinois College of Law observed.in Sri Lanka's ruling party, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, and Information Director Anusha Palpita said they had never heard of the group ‘Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka’ which sent the video clip to Channel-4, adding that it could be a front organization for LTTE remnants attempting to pump oxygen to the dying organization, according Sri Lanka media.A UN press release issued on 9th May 2009 said: "The current humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka gives cause for deep concern, not only in terms of the number of civilians who have been and continue to be killed, but because of a dramatic lack of transparency and accountability."Philip Alston said in the same release, "[t]here is good reason to believe that thousands of civilians have been killed in the past three months alone, and yet the Sri Lankan Government has yet to account for the casualties, or to provide access to the war zone for journalists and humanitarian monitors of any type." British daily The Times on its 29th May issue revealed that at least 20,000 Tamil people were killed on the Mullaitivu beach by Sri Lanka Army shelling. Aerial photographs, official documents, witness accounts and expert testimony collected by the newspaper “present clear evidence of an atrocity that comes close to matching Srebrenica, Darfur and other massacres of civilians,” the paper’s editorial said. Confidential UN documents acquired by The Times record nearly 7,000 civilian deaths in the ‘no-fire’ zone up to the end of April. UN sources said that the toll then surged, with an average of 1,000 civilians killed each day until May 19.
Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions
"If the government's position [of categorically denying the allegations] is validated as a result of an inquiry, the international community can rest easy and the government will have been vindicated," AFP quoted Alston as saying.Alston also pointed out that he had asked permission to visit Sri Lanka on several occasions in recent years, but Colombo had not given him the green light, according to the AFP report.Sri Lanka Army soldiers action, of stripping naked the Tamil victims before summarily executing them, is more akin to what the Nazis did to the Jews, depriving their victims of the last shred of their humanity before dying," Professor Boyle of Illinois College of Law observed.in Sri Lanka's ruling party, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, and Information Director Anusha Palpita said they had never heard of the group ‘Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka’ which sent the video clip to Channel-4, adding that it could be a front organization for LTTE remnants attempting to pump oxygen to the dying organization, according Sri Lanka media.A UN press release issued on 9th May 2009 said: "The current humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka gives cause for deep concern, not only in terms of the number of civilians who have been and continue to be killed, but because of a dramatic lack of transparency and accountability."Philip Alston said in the same release, "[t]here is good reason to believe that thousands of civilians have been killed in the past three months alone, and yet the Sri Lankan Government has yet to account for the casualties, or to provide access to the war zone for journalists and humanitarian monitors of any type." British daily The Times on its 29th May issue revealed that at least 20,000 Tamil people were killed on the Mullaitivu beach by Sri Lanka Army shelling. Aerial photographs, official documents, witness accounts and expert testimony collected by the newspaper “present clear evidence of an atrocity that comes close to matching Srebrenica, Darfur and other massacres of civilians,” the paper’s editorial said. Confidential UN documents acquired by The Times record nearly 7,000 civilian deaths in the ‘no-fire’ zone up to the end of April. UN sources said that the toll then surged, with an average of 1,000 civilians killed each day until May 19.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tamil Pay Solidarity
Socialist Youth (SY) interview with Kandeepan – a Sri Lankan Tamil, living in Ireland who has assisted the Stop the Slaughter of Tamils (SST) campaign. Socialist Youth and the Socialist Party have helped to begin this campaign in Ireland.
SY – Why did you get involved with the SST protest?
Kandee – I love my people and my country the Tamileelam. The Tamils have been terrorised since 1948 by the brutal Sinhalese government. A quarter of a million Tamil people have been slaughtered and I cannot remain silent and watch the remaining Tamils be killed in the name of eliminating the LTTE the armed forces of the state of Eelam. I would like to make my contribution to save the Tamils.
SY – Do you, or your friends from the Tamil community in Ireland have any friends or family trapped in the war zone?
Kandee – Yes, some of my Tamil friends in Ireland have family who fled the war zone and were arrested by the Sri Lankan army on 1st May. They have not heard from them since.
Another friend had family trapped in the war zone. He has made no contact with them and does not know if they are alive or not.
SY – What do you think of the SST campaign?
Kandee – I feel that I have friends who are both Irish and of other nationalities who are standing with us during this difficult time. They are trying to save the Tamils and help get their rights. This is an example of great solidarity and participation when the lives of our fellow human beings are taken away by those elected leaders who have been committing crimes by abusing their power.
SY – Anything else you want to say about the issue or about the campaign?
I would like to see more campaigns and more people in Ireland support the Tamil struggle for freedom. I would like that the Irish government takes actions in such a way to stop the war and see that the rights of the Tamils are granted. We Tamils would like to thank the Socialist Party for its continuous support for the Tamils to live as free people.
SY – Why did you get involved with the SST protest?
Kandee – I love my people and my country the Tamileelam. The Tamils have been terrorised since 1948 by the brutal Sinhalese government. A quarter of a million Tamil people have been slaughtered and I cannot remain silent and watch the remaining Tamils be killed in the name of eliminating the LTTE the armed forces of the state of Eelam. I would like to make my contribution to save the Tamils.
SY – Do you, or your friends from the Tamil community in Ireland have any friends or family trapped in the war zone?
Kandee – Yes, some of my Tamil friends in Ireland have family who fled the war zone and were arrested by the Sri Lankan army on 1st May. They have not heard from them since.
Another friend had family trapped in the war zone. He has made no contact with them and does not know if they are alive or not.
SY – What do you think of the SST campaign?
Kandee – I feel that I have friends who are both Irish and of other nationalities who are standing with us during this difficult time. They are trying to save the Tamils and help get their rights. This is an example of great solidarity and participation when the lives of our fellow human beings are taken away by those elected leaders who have been committing crimes by abusing their power.
SY – Anything else you want to say about the issue or about the campaign?
I would like to see more campaigns and more people in Ireland support the Tamil struggle for freedom. I would like that the Irish government takes actions in such a way to stop the war and see that the rights of the Tamils are granted. We Tamils would like to thank the Socialist Party for its continuous support for the Tamils to live as free people.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)