Tamils Gagged, Gunned
And Bombed In Tamil Eelam
By Dr C P Thiagarajah
28 January, 2009
Countercurrents.org
Tamilnet services reported on 26 Jan that 300 civilians among 250000 IDPs waiting for safety in the government declared safe zones or secure zone in Mullaitivu were killed when the Sri-Lankan armed forces bombed and shelled the area. Several hundreds were bleeding to death in the last 24 hours.
This death toll was ten times more than the horrific death count for a day on the 22rd January military assault on Mullaitivu. The Associated Press reporting on 23 January, this Mullaitivu army assault on a village and a hospital in a safe zone enumerated the number of civilians killed on that day as 30 people. Scores were wounded.
Those who were injured in the latest bombing and shelling were sure to die due to lack of medical and surgical care as the remaining two relocated temporary hospitals, which were functioning at Udaiyaarkaddu and Va'l'lipunam (Mullaiththeevu hospital), were defunct now. There was pouring rain when the attack started and houses and vehicles were burning for a stretch of three km between Va’l’lipunam Kaa’li temple and Moongkilaa’ru towards Paranthan road. Unattended bodies and injured people unable to move were lying around everywhere, while a remaining doctor in the hospital fled to safe himself from this wanton destruction. The Intensive Care Unit and Surgical Units were attacked on 21st Wednesday night.
This is in direct contravention of Article 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which states that the civilian hospitals organized to give care to the wounded and sick, the infirm and maternity cases, may in no circumstances be the object of attack, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict. It is pertinent to note that Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is a signatory to the First, Second and Third Geneva Conventions and it ratified the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, by accession to it, on 23.02.1959.
The official/legal representatives of the government the Government Agents of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi have left the area and these areas are in anarchy. There were no veracious sources for news of the situation. AP also indicated that independent accounts of the fighting were not available because journalists were barred from the war zone by Gothabaya Rajapakse the Government of SriLanka (GSL) defence secretary and a US green Card holder. Press Gag indeed in order to keep this violation of Human Rights reaching the conscientious community of the world at large.
Dr.T.Varatharajah, Regional Director of Health Services, Mullaitivu District had made an urgent appeal to the GSL, ICRC, the UN, and the international community for medical supplies and medical teams to be sent to the district to meet the needs of those affected in this catastrophe. Judging by past experience of aid delivery to the Tamil areas unless foreign governments intervene the government response to this request would be slow.
It was an irony and cheek that the GSL opted to carry out this mass murder on the Holocaust Remembrance Day that falls on 27 January. The General Assembly designated 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, as the International Day in 2005. This collective punishment according to International Law is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Rome Statute.
Indian media and International News Agencies operating from Colombo published no accounts of the mass genocide, taking place in Vanni though this South Asian genocide may be a revenge for the GSL Kalmadu Tank debacle. However, they had a duty to report truth as it was and not eulogize Colombo’s military victories, painting a picture of LTTE ‘terrorists’ using civilians as human shield. These news agencies, which had no guts to find out what was happening on their own initiatives, were spinning stories for the government. We were appalled by the present day media that had turned out as fascist propagandists.
US ambassador Robert Blake who conducted diplomacy from his arm chair in the US embassy bleeped out what he heard from Sinhala politicians and their spouses at their residences and parties as news releases. If US state officials Condoleeza Rice and Bob Blake did a genuine job HR violations of GSL and para-militaries would have been stopped long ago. While at the end of her term in December 2008 Condaleeeza Rice admitted that HR violation prevailed in the East of Sri-Lanka. What was Bob doing for the last 21/2 years under Rice and the failed ex-president Bush? It is anybody’s guess.
India was mute over these calamities because it had Kashmir skeletons in its cupboard. Jyoti Thottam writing in Time magazine of December 22 2008 went on “human Rights Group also blame Indian authorities for wide spread abuses like, rape torture and disappearances, but note that militants have engaged in such brutal tactics. Human Rights Watch estimates that more than 50,000 people-civilians, soldiers and militants- have been killed in the past 20 years. Some activists say the toll is tens of thousands higher”.
It is President Barack Obama who could help the oppressed Tamils at this critical and deadly phase of the process of annihilation of the Tamils. In his inaugural speech on January 20th he let the world citizens know “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness”. He emphasised “know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more”. Almighty give him the strength to save the Tamils of Tamil Eelam.
