Kilinochchi raid violates International Humanitarian Law- TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 15:58 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a press release issued in Colombo Friday condemned the Thursday bombing raid by SLAF near Kilinochchi hospital as "serious violation of International Humanitarian Law," and said the bombing was "conducted with callous disregard for the safety and the security of Tamil civilian life and property." TNA also expressed disappointment that despite repeated attacks by GoSL against civilian life and property, "the International Community is unable to bring such attacks of the GOSL to an end."

Full text of the press release follows:

3 November 2006

PRESS RELEASE

On the 2nd of November 2006 at about 2pm, the Government of Sri Lanka’s (GOSL) Air Force carried out bombing raids on Kilinochchi. In the course of so doing, at least 16 bombs had been dropped. The GOSL has confirmed the fact that air strikes had been ordered on Kilinochchi. Whilst the GOSL has insisted that the said strikes had targeted confirmed LTTE military installations, confirmed reports prove otherwise.

In fact, the said air strikes had dropped the bombs within 500 meters of the newly built Kilinochchi General Hospital at Anandapuram. Extensive damage had been caused to the Hospital, resulting in all the patients and staff of the Hospital evacuating the premises. The patients included the seriously ill, the seriously injured due to previous military actions by the GOSL, pregnant women and mothers with newborn babies. The GOSL air strikes had also completely destroyed a civilian dwelling. At least five civilians have been killed.

It is clear from the reports that there were no LTTE military installations anywhere close to the targeted areas. Persons from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission have visited the bombed site and have ruled the GOSL air strikes a Ceasefire Violation.

The TNA condemns this serious violation of International Humanitarian Law by the GOSL. The Military operations by the GOSL Armed Forces in the North-East, have been conducted with callous disregard for the safety and the security of Tamil civilian life and property. The TNA wishes to point out that this incident is the latest, in a very long list of similar incidents where the GOSL has acted in gross violation of the Ceasefire Agreement, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.

The TNA is disappointed that despite the International Community claiming to put pressure on the GOSL to respect Tamil civilian life and property, the GOSL repeatedly continues to carryout attacks against Tamil civilian life and property, and that the International Community is unable to bring such attacks of the GOSL to an end.

TNA Parliamentary Group