Sri Lankan cluster shelling kills 129 civilians within 7 hours

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 10:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells fitted with cluster munitions and fire-bombs into civilian 'safety zone' killing at least 129 civilians between 2:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Around 200 civilians were wounded. 300 tarpaulin huts burned down to ashes in Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fired rockets. The medical store at Valaignarmadam has sustained damage and the son of a doctor was reported killed there, according to initial reports. A local NGO official, who was coordinating the rescue of the wounded described the carnage as "Colombo’s show of open mockery at international concern," reports TamilNet's Vanni correspondent. "The attack was criminally deliberate as it was timed for the aftermath of a mini cyclone and floods, at the stranded civilians," the NGO official said.
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Police station opened in SLA occupied village in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 07:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police key officials participated in the official opening of a police station Monday around 10:00 a.m. in Muzhangkaavil village, which was earlier under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Mannaar district. Four police stations were established last year later part in Chilaavaththu’rai, Madu Church, Vidaththaltheevu, Illuppaikkadavai and the one established this year are the five police stations opened in Mannaar district. Civilians are not allowed to enter these villages.
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Flood affected refugees in internment camps refuse temporary re-location

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 06:48 GMT]
Tamil refugees from Vanni, detained at schools in Vavuniyaa, were affected by heavy downpour of rain Monday, but refused temporary relocation, officials in Vavuniyaa said. The refugees turned down the offer in fear of getting separated from each other, the sources added.
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Evacuation would constitute U.S. "complicity in genocide"- Prof Boyle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 05:59 GMT]
"For the United States government to "evacuate" Tamils from Vanni and then turn them over to the genocidal Government of Sri Lanka would constitute "Complicity in genocide" by the United States to the genocide that GOSL is currently inflicting on the Tamils in violation of Genocide Convention Article III (e) and the United States's own Genocide Convention Implementation Act as amended. Such a turn-over could very well create personal criminal responsibility for United States government officials involved in this process under both international criminal law and United States domestic criminal law," warns Prof. Boyle, an expert in international law and a professor at University of Illinois College of Law.
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Colombo's shelling carnage of flood-hit civilians, 25 children killed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 02:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) intensified indiscriminate shelling on the 'safe zone' throughout Monday, continuing into Tuesday morning to the time of this reporting, killing 74 civilians and injuring more than 100, TamilNet correspondent reported from Vanni. 25 of the victims killed were children. "The inhuman shelling deliberately targeted all the areas of the 'safe zone' where civilians are already victims of flood and a mini-cyclone that hit them Monday." All lethal ammunitions such as artillery-fired cluster shells, fire-shells and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) shells were used in the SLA attack.
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Shelling amidst mini-cyclone and lashing rains, thousands stranded

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 March 2009, 13:43 GMT]
A lashing rain that started Sunday night became a mini-cyclone Monday severely causing misery to the already suffering civilians in the 'safe zone' in Mullaiththeevu. Amidst this catastrophe they were inhumanely attacked by the Sri Lanka Army shelling in which 71 civilians were killed within the last 36 hours, reports TamilNet correspondent from Vanni. The mini-cyclone blew away the temporary tarpaulin tents and the low land adjacent to sea coast where the people were herded became heavily flooded causing at least 20,000 families stranded. A person who witnessed shell hit killings told TamilNet correspondent with frustration that he was 'unfortunate to survive'.
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'Evacuation enforced is negation of territoriality'

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 March 2009, 10:49 GMT]
While concern is mounting up beyond limits on the plight of civilians facing sanctions and attack by Colombo, a new concern looming large about their future is the possible prodding or pressed evacuation coming from ‘strategic partners’, to see them ending up in the hands of the Sri Lankan state. The 'evacuation' move, and not protection of them in their own land, is seen as negation of the territoriality of Tamils and is understood as signalling Colombo to continue the war against Tamils, their national aspirations and against their fighting force, diaspora Tamil circles observed.
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TNA urges IC to ensure Sri Lankan forces do not bomb besieged civilians

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 March 2009, 06:24 GMT]
The leaders of four major Tamil parties, the ITAK, ACTC, EPRLF and TELO comprising Tamil National Alliance (TNA), on behalf of the 22 elected parliamentarians from North and East, sent an appeal to the International Community urging it to ensure an immediate cessation of the war and ensure that adequate medical supplies, food and shelter be sent to the 333,000 civilians inside the area under siege by the Sri Lankan military. "The civilians are merely asking, that the SriLankan armed forces do not bomb them, and that the government permits adequate food, medicine and shelter into the area." Since the beginning of this year, more than 2150 civilians have been killed inside the so-called ‘safe zones’ by bombing campaigns carried out by the Sri Lankan armed forces and over 5000 are wounded, the TNA appeal said.
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Toronto youths on 800km walk to Chicago to publicize Tamil plight

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 March 2009, 17:24 GMT]
Six students from Canadian universities are on a 60-day 800km walk from United States Consulate in Toronto to Harpo Studio in Millenium Park Chicago to highlight the plight of the more than 250,000 Tamil civilians who are struggling to survive in harsh conditions of food embargo and amidst daily aerial bombardments and artillery attacks by the Sri Lanka armed forces. The youths started their campaign on Wednesday, hoping to draw the attention of Television host, Oprah Winfrey who airs her show from Harpo studio, according to the campaign organizers.
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IDPs in Jaffna SLA detention camps require help

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 March 2009, 17:33 GMT]
Financial and relief assistance given to civilians fleeing war in Vanni and held in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention camps in Jaffna district by Sri Lanka Government and Non-government organizations are inadequate, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna Hindu Maha Sabai (JHMS) has extended an appeal to the Saiva institutions and humanitarian organizations in Jaffna peninsula to donate funds to provide the additional needs of the detainees in the camps, according to a media report signed by JHMS Secretary, S. Sakthikireepan.
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Sri Lankan attacks kill 208 civilians within 72 hours

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 March 2009, 12:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery-fitted cluster shells hit several IDP settlements within the 'safety zone', claiming the lives of at least 53 civilians Saturday until 3:00 p.m. Around 112 civilians sustained injuries. On Friday, 86 civilians were killed and more than 100 civilians were wounded. Dead bodies were not brought to the hospital as shelling continued. Thousands of civilians within the 'safety zone' were forced to remain inside the bunkers. 69 civilians were killed on Thursday in the indiscriminate shelling and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombardments. More than 330 civilians have been wounded within the last 3 days.
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Commonwealth ministers’ silence, Colombo’s membership questioned

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 2009, 20:21 GMT]
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) on Thursday condemned the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) for not reviewing the situation in Sri Lanka in its meeting in London, Wednesday. CMAG, a body of nine ministers, is mandated to check persistent violations of the ‘Fundamental Values and Principles of the Commonwealth,’ including democracy and human rights. Contrary to the norm that limits each country to two-consecutive sittings, Sri Lanka is currently serving its third consecutive two-year term. Sri Lanka‘s membership has become particularly controversial as its own credentials as a guardian of these values become increasingly questionable, read a statement from CHRI.
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Press Freedom Group calls for unconditional release of Tissanayagam

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 2009, 19:31 GMT]
In a press release issued to mark the first anniversary of incarceration of Tamil journalist on unsubstantiated terrorism charges, the International Press Freedom Mission, a group of international media watchdogs including Article 19, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), is “calling for the unconditional release of Tissainayagam, who has been subjected to arbitrary court adjournments and is suffering ill health.” First anniversary of arrest and imprisonment of Tissanayagam fell on 7th March.
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Human chain demonstration in Norway

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 2009, 16:11 GMT]
More than 700 Norwegian Tamils stood in line with joined hands forming long human chains Thursday around 5:00 p.m staring from the Oslo Central Railway Station up to National Theatre along both sides of Karl Johans Street protesting against attempts to force out Tamil civilians from their birth places to Sri Lanka Army concentration camps in government controlled areas outside Vanni. The demonstration organized by Norwegian Tamils’ Forum (NTF) ended around 6:00 p.m.
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Silent prayer, fast for Vanni Tamils in Jaffna University concludes

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 2009, 14:54 GMT]
Thousands of persons including students, lecturers, faculty heads, employees and Vice-chancellor of Jaffna University took part Friday between 11:00 a.m and 12:00 a.m in final day of the silent prayer and fast conducted daily since 9 February for the sake of the suffering Tamils in Vanni due to the war waged on them by the Government of Sri Lanka.
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‘True friends’ coordinate prodding civilians into barbed wires

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 2009, 13:50 GMT]
Colombo plans to open two routes to prod Tamil civilians chose to stay under the protection of the LTTE into its barbed-wire internment camps, according to news reports, Friday. One route will be leading to north towards Chalai and the other towards south through Mullaiththeevu, the reports indicated. Meanwhile, India is likely to establish a field military hospital at Pulmoaddai, in the coast south of Mullaiththeevu to treat evacuated civilians Bernama.com reported, quoting Xinhua news agency.
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3 shot dead, 3 injured on Point Pedro Sea

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 2009, 13:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in Point Pedro is alleged of opening fire on civilians fleeing from Puthu Maaththa’lan in Mullaiththeevu towards Vadamaraadchi on a boat Thursday killing three and seriously injuring three including a one-year-old boy, sources in Point Pedro said. SLN handed over the arrested civilians to Point Pedro police Friday evening while the bodies of the civilians killed are kept in Point Pedro Base Hospital mortuary.
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93,877 displaced 19 years ago yet to be resettled in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 2009, 08:10 GMT]
Nearly 93,877 civilians belonging to 27,601 families displaced due to war from various parts of Jaffna peninsula 19 years ago still languish in refugee camps while most of them are living with their relatives or friends, a statistical report of Jaffna Secretariat said. 73,672 persons of 21,591 families were displaced before 31 December 2005 and 20,205 persons of 6,010 families were displaced after the A9 land route to Jaffna peninsula was closed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in 2006, according to the report.
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Doctors warn severe shortage of medicines in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 2009, 07:56 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lankan and its armed forces have systematically blocked medical supplies, causing several patients to die at the hospital and inflicted slow death of patients dependent on medications. The makeshift-hospital at Puthumaaththa'lan is struggling to cope with the situation. On Thursday, Dr. Saththiyamoorthy, the Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) of Ki'linochchi district, in his situation report, said medicines for four months have not arrived in Vanni.
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‘UN must protect civilians in Sri Lanka’ – Tutu, British academics

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 2009, 04:57 GMT]
Demanding that the UN protect civilians in Sri Lanka, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and several leading scholars at British universities have written an open letter to the British government urging it to press for a UN Security Council Resolution authorising a fact-finding mission to the island’s Northeast. “The deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation throughout the war-afflicted areas of northern and eastern Sri Lanka warrants immediate attention and action by the Security Council,” the letter, published in the Times newspaper, said.
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