68 civilians killed, 38 disappeared, 454 arrested in September, says NESoHR

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 October 2008, 08:45 GMT]
The human toll for Tamils across the island for September, dominated by the Government of Sri Lanka's offensives to wrest control of Ki'linochchi, is 68 killed, 38 disappeared, 87 injured, 454 arrested and 36,000 newly displaced, a monthly report released by the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR) Friday said. The total number of displaced since the military offensives by Rajapakse Government started in August 2006 is 190541 the report added.

Of the total toll, seven civilians were killed in Ki'linochchi and Mu'l'laiththeavu by aerial bombing and shelling, and more than 40 injured, all of them treated at the Kilinochchi Hospital, the report said. "The targeted bombing of the infrastructure buildings in Kilinochchi during the first week of October," the report added. Co-ordinating center for Civil Administrative Services, Private Computer Services Centre, Annai Illam Counseling Center, Tamileelam Police Head Quarters, Political Head Quarters of the LTTE, a TRO store, Branch Office of the Center for Women’s Development and Rehabilitation (CWDR), Vetrimanai Home for the Mentally Ill, and the LTTE Peace Secretariat were buildings heavily damaged or destroyed by the aerial bombing, the report said.

Despite the publicity of the 51-truck convoy carrying relief supply for Vanni IDPs during the first week of October, the report maintained that the supply was sufficient to provide only one week of allocation for the Vanni IDPs.

196 schools and 88 hospitals have been relocated to due to the Vanni offensives, the report said. Several of the displaced schools are among the largest in Vanni withan enrollment of over 1000 each. The school authorities have appealed for new shelters to run schools, and said they can manage with the furniture transported from the displaces schools.

Ki'linochchi District Hospital located along A9 near the town, suffered heavy damages due to shelling and aerial bombardment, the report said, adding, that the 2nd floor ceiling completely fell down forcing relocation of parents to other suitable places.