The hidden massacre by Sri Lanka - uavhengighet.com

More than 20,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final throes of the Sri Lankan civil war, most as a result of government shelling, an investigation by The Times has revealed.

The number of casualties is three times the official figure.

The Sri Lankan authorities have insisted that their forces stopped using heavy weapons on April 27 and observed the no-fire zone where 100,000 Tamil men, women and children were sheltering. They have blamed all civilian casualties on Tamil Tiger rebels concealed among the civilians.

Aerial photographs, official documents, witness accounts and expert testimony tell a different story. With the worlds media and aid organisations kept well away from the fighting, the army launched a fierce barrage that began at the end of April and lasted about three weeks. The offensive ended Sri Lankas 26-year civil war with the Tamil Tigers, but innocent civilians paid the price.

Confidential United Nations 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, the day after Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Tamil Tigers, was killed. That figure concurs with the estimate made to The Times by Father Amalraj, a Roman Catholic priest who fled the no-fire zone on May 16 and is now interned with 200,000 other survivors in Manik Farm refugee camp. It would take the final toll above 20,000. Higher, a UN source told The Times. Keep going.

Some of the victims can be seen in the photograph above, which shows the destruction of the flimsy refugee camp. In the bottom right-hand corner, sand mounds show makeshift burial grounds. Other pictures show a more orderly military cemetery, believed to be for hundreds of rebel fighters. One photograph shows rebel gun emplacements next to the refugee camp.

Independent defence experts who analysed dozens of aerial photographs taken by The Times said that the arrangement of the army and rebel firing positions and the narrowness of the no-fire zone made it unlikely that Tiger mortar fire or artillery caused a significant number of deaths. It looks more likely that the firing position has been located by the Sri Lankan Army and it has then been targeted with air-burst and ground-impact mortars, said Charles Heyman, editor of the magazine Armed Forces of the UK.

On Wednesday, Sri Lanka was cleared of any wrongdoing by the UN Human Rights Council after winning the backing of countries including China, Egypt, India and Cuba.

A spokesman for the Sri Lankan High Commission in London said: We reject all these allegations. Civilians have not been killed by government shelling at all. If civilians have been killed, then that is because of the actions of the LTTE [rebels] who were shooting and killing people when they tried to escape.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Sri lanka
• massacre
• ltte
• hidden
• bombing

[danja39]

ok !! Delete dis now !!

[QueenZ420]

Yes, we will wash our land in their blood. Fucking coolie parasites!

[Bunkerhunter1]

you people never spork aword against terrorist ltte bombing sri lankan schools,buses,trins,building by suicide bombers caring child soldier helping to fight and killing the own tamil people what a jork ha ha ha

[shiranthakumara76]

Get a life moran........

It was a war with the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world. You idiots go and talk about Iraq before comment on SL.

Why you guys did not open your mouths when LTTE kept these civilians against their will as a human shield, now shedding crocadile tears.

[delbertware9881791]

memaansex, yes, you're right, these pics are taken from the air and not sure what happened, that's why we are asking to allow the international journalists to that zone to bring out the truth to the world, I don't think not all the journalists are telling lies.

[memaansex]

journalists are not always telling the truth. Always twisted. Exactly in this report......... "civilians buried their love ones"........ how do they know. All assumptions and bogus claims. Gov bombardment? Did they see those? Bullshit they'll write whtever they want. Its better follow the chinese policy over media maybe better North korean approach. Proud to be a Sri Lankan

[elavapankotiya]

You f*n loosers, tried to topple Sri Lankan governmnet for a bad terrorist cause. You have already learnt a lesson at UN human rights counsil. Now making manipulated false stories on rage.

World dont buy your f*n bullshit stories.

The photos of this distruction shows after we have saved civilians and crushed Tamil Tiger terrorists. The holes on the ground does indicated that the LTTE was setup heavy weapons to attack Army within Civilians.

Uk, US, Canada, France Get wack your selves

[delbertware9881791]

Why the Hell Srilankan Government is not allowing international journalists in that war zone even after the war is over. If you are clean hands, then what's the problem to allow world community? Do you need more time to clean up things?

[lionsden17]

we are proud of what we have done to the ltte germs.if more would come,we will gladely clence them again and again so fuck you ltte

[kesararandeniya]

so what!!!! white reporter!!! so what!!! we killed all mother fuckers so what!!! go and get a free fuck from tamil toilet cleaner from your country and make your self happy you white fagot!!!!