இலங்கை அரசு மக்களை கொல்கிறது தொடர்பாக டைம்ஸ் ஒன்லைன் இல் வந்த கட்டுரைக்கு உங்கள் கருத்துக்கள் அவசியம் தேவை. இங்கு வந்து பார்த்துவிட்டு சிங்களவனும், எம் துரொகிகளும் கருத்துக்களை தம் சார்பாக திருப்பமுன் நாமும் பங்கெடுப்போம்

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...amp;attr=797093

Jeremy Page, South Asia Correspondent

Sri Lanka's Government is "slaughtering" civilians with indiscriminate shelling as it tries to finish off the last Tamil Tiger rebels hiding in a patch of northeastern jungle, Human Rights Watch said today.

After a two-week covert fact-finding mission to the region, the New York-based group also said that civilians who escaped the conflict zone were being herded in military-run internment camps.

"This 'war' against civilians must stop," said James Ross, the group's legal and policy director. "Sri Lankan forces are shelling hospitals and so-called safe zones and slaughtering the civilians there."

The group estimated that 2,000 civilians had been killed and 5,000 injured by both sides in the last month alone.

It was the most damning verdict yet on the Sri Lankan Government's military campaign to bring a permanent end to a civil war that has lasted 25 years and claimed more than 70,000 lives.

The Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for a homeland for the ethnic Tamil minority to protect it from discrimination at the hands of the ethnic Sinhalese majority.

But the rebels are now pinned down in a 34 sq mile patch of jungle in the northeastern district of Mullaitivu along with an estimated 200,000 civilians, almost all Tamils.

Human Rights Watch joined many other rights groups and foreign governments in accusing the Tigers of preventing the civilians from leaving the conflict zone, and forcing many of them to fight or work.

"With each battlefield defeat, the Tamil Tigers appear to be treating Tamil civilians with increased brutality," said Mr Ross. The Tigers are listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union and India.

However, Human Rights Watch went farther than any other rights group in criticising the Government's conduct, especially its handling of the estimated 36,000 Tamil civilians who have fled the conflict zone.

"They are held by the Government in squalid military-controlled camps and hospitals with little access to the outside world," said Mr Ross.

"The Government seems to be trying its best to keep its role in their ordeal away from public scrutiny."

The Government has blocked most journalists and aid workers from visiting the conflict zone for several months.

Sri Lankan officials say that they are screening the refugees in temporary transit camps before transferring them to five "welfare villages" where they will be held until they can be resettled.

But prominent Tamils in India, Sri Lanka and Britain have likened the proposed "welfare villages" to concentration camps, while rights groups say that the plans violate international humanitarian law.

John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, who is visiting Sri Lanka, urged the Government yesterday to make sure that the camps met international standards.

"Our concern is ... to make sure international law and principles are being fully met in the transition period before they return to their homes once military operations are over," he said.

"We want that return to be as rapid as possible

Many Sri Lankan civilians killed: rights group

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RAVI NESSMAN

Associated Press

February 20, 2009 at 11:16 AM EST

COLOMBO — Civilian casualties in Sri Lanka's civil war have skyrocketed in the past two months as government forces indiscriminately shell the northern war zone and Tamil Tiger rebels fire on families trying to flee, Human Rights Watch said Friday.

The New York-based rights group said some 2,000 noncombatants have died in the recent fighting and called on both sides to immediately stop “the ongoing slaughter of civilians.”

The criticism came as John Holmes, the UN's top humanitarian official, visited the country amid increasing concern for the fate of the ethnic Tamil civilians in the north. On Thursday, Mr. Holmes called on both sides to try to avoid civilian casualties.

He toured displacement camps near the war zone Friday and met civil, military and aid officials in the region, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said.

In recent months, the military has cornered the rebels in a small strip of land in the northeast, where tens of thousands of civilians are also trapped.

Health officials and witnesses have accused the government of launching artillery barrages into areas crowded with civilians, while also accusing the rebels of shooting civilians who tried to escape. Confirmation of the allegations is not possible because independent journalists are barred from the area.

The violence has led to a “dramatic increase” in civilian casualties, with independent monitors estimating 2,000 civilians have been killed and another 5,000 wounded over the past month, Human Rights Watch said in a report Friday.

“This ‘war' against civilians must stop,” James Ross, legal and policy director at the rights organization, said in a statement.

The group accused both sides of war crimes. It said the military was routinely shelling hospitals, heavily populated areas and government-declared “safe zones.” It also accused the rebels of attacking fleeing civilians and forcing those remaining — including children — into combat or deadly labour along the front lines.

Thousands of Tamils from across Europe, meanwhile, protested in Geneva in front of the United Nations on Friday, demanding that the global body intervene to stop the bloodshed in northern Sri Lanka.

Inside, the UN's European headquarters was mostly deserted after staff were ordered to go home early because of security fears. Last week, a 26-year-old Sri Lankan protester poured gasoline over himself and burned to death outside the building.

“Why has the UN not stopped the genocide” and “Recognize our right to secession” read two of the pro-Tamil banners at the rally, which Geneva police said was attended by some 14,000 people.

The Sri Lankan government has repeatedly denied causing any civilian deaths. However on Friday, government official Rajiva Wijesinha told reporters some “collateral damage” may have occurred, but he said Human Rights Watch's numbers were exaggerated.

The military was cautious to avoid civilian casualties, Mr. Wijesinha said, adding the government has no records on the number of civilians killed.

The rebels have denied holding civilians as human shields or shooting at those who flee.

In a statement on their Web site, the rebels said government artillery attacks Thursday killed 34 civilians. They also said a soldier being held as a prisoner of war was killed Wednesday in a government air strike.

Aid groups estimate about 200,000 civilians remain trapped in the shrinking war zone along with the rebel fighters. The government says less than 100,000 civilians are there and that more than 30,000 have managed to flee across the front lines in recent weeks.

The Red Cross sent a ferry Friday to evacuate hundreds of sick and wounded patients from a makeshift hospital along a beach in the war zone, spokeswoman Sarasi Wijeratne said. The boat was also bringing 10 tons of flour for civilians stuck in the area, she said.

Human Rights Watch accused the government of secretly screening those fleeing to remove potential rebel sympathizers and detaining others in internment camps with the goal of keeping their ordeal from public scrutiny.

The group compiled its report after a two-week covert fact-finding trip to the region south of the war zone where many of the fleeing civilians are being held.

Meanwhile, government forces captured a three-story underground bunker believed to have been a hiding place for rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, who remains at large, said military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara. The bunker was surrounded by guard posts and watch towers and covered with camouflaged nets, he said.

The Tamil Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for an independent state for minority Tamils after decades of marginalization by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...al/?query=lanka

AFP

Sri Lanka waging 'war' on civilians: Human Rights Watch

NEW YORK (AFP) - The Sri Lankan government is "slaughtering" civilians with indiscriminate shelling in its effort to eradicate Tamil Tiger rebels in the island's northeast, Human Rights Watch said Friday.

In a report that followed a covert, two-week fact-finding mission to northern Sri Lanka, the New York-based rights group said those civilians who escaped the combat zone were herded into squalid, military-run internment camps and allowed no freedom of movement.

"Sri Lankan forces are shelling hospitals and so-called safe zones and slaughtering the civilians there," said, James Ross, legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch.

"This 'war' against civilians must stop," Ross said.

Tens of thousands of non-combatants are believed to be trapped in the narrow strip of coastal jungle where the Sri Lankan military has cornered the rebels from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The government says the Tigers are using the civilians as shields, while the rebels say they are protecting them.

The report was compiled from the testimony of civilians who had managed to flee the fighting. The Sri Lankan government has barred journalists and rights monitors from the war zone.

Human Rights Watch condemned the LTTE for preventing civilians from leaving the war zone and subjecting those in areas under its control -- including children -- to forced recruitment and forced labour on the battlefield.

"With each battlefield defeat, the Tamil Tigers appear to be treating Tamil civilians with increased brutality," said Ross.

One local resident interviewed by the fact-finding team described how the Tigers took people to the front lines and made them dig bunkers and collect weapons from dead fighters on both sides.

"About 25 of my neighbors were killed while doing this work. They did not receive any training," the resident said. "The LTTE cadres fetched them from their homes and the next day brought their dead bodies back."

According to the report, those managing to flee the fighting face renewed hardship in military-run "welfare villages".

"They are held by the government in squalid military-controlled camps and hospitals with little access to the outside world," said Ross.

"The government seems to be trying its best to keep its role in their ordeal away from public scrutiny," he said, adding that any apparent LTTE suspects arriving at the camps were secretly taken away and often never seen again.

The plight of the civilians was highlighted Thursday by UN humanitarian chief, John Holmes, who was in Sri Lanka for a three-day visit.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned of an "unfolding catastrophe" with trapped civilians short of food, medicine and shelter.

The Sri Lankan government has rejected international appeals for a ceasefire, insisting that they intend to crush the Tigers as a fighting force.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090220/worl...nrest_rights_10

Civilian 'slaughter' in Sri Lanka

The campaign group, Human Rights Watch, has accused the Sri Lankan army of "slaughter" and rebels of "brutality" towards civilians in the north-east.

It called on the government to end its "indiscriminate artillery attacks" on civilians and its policy of "detaining displaced persons in internment camps".

Human Rights Watch also condemned the Tamil Tigers for "increased brutality" towards trapped civilians.

The government and rebels both strongly deny targeting civilians.

Top UN humanitarian official John Holmes is currently in Sri Lanka and is visiting camps of displaced civilians in the north-east.

'Propaganda'

Human Rights Watch said that it had compiled a 45-page report based on a two-week fact-finding mission to northern Sri Lanka in February.

See map of the region

It said "independent monitors" had told it that some 2,000 civilians had been killed and another 5,000 wounded in the past month.

James Ross, legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch, said: "This 'war' against civilians must stop. Sri Lankan forces are shelling hospitals and so-called safe zones and slaughtering the civilians there."

Mr Ross said civilians who escaped were held "in squalid military-controlled camps" and the government seemed "to be trying its best to keep its role in their ordeal away from public scrutiny".

The government has not commented directly on the report but says it is doing all it can to avoid civilian casualties and accuses the rebels of using civilians as human shields.

Human Rights Watch also urged the Tamil Tigers to permit trapped civilians to leave the war zone and to "stop shooting at those who try to flee".

Mr Ross said: "With each battlefield defeat, the Tamil Tigers appear to be treating Tamil civilians with increased brutality."

Both the Sri Lankan government and the UN have also accused the rebels of shooting civilians.

Tamil Tiger political chief B Nadesan dismissed the accusations as "malicious propaganda".

"There are 300,000 people who want to stay with us because they are confident that we are their guardians," he said.

Independent journalists cannot travel to the war zone so claims on either side cannot be verified.

Mr Holmes is currently on a three-day visit. On Thursday he urged Sri Lanka's army and the Tamil Tigers to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties.

"I hope to hear no more of shootings of people trying to leave or recruitment of children as soldiers," he said.

The Sri Lankan defence ministry quoted Mr Holmes as saying the UN would help Sri Lanka to enable the return of normal life and normal democratic politics.

Mr Nadesan told the BBC Sinhala service on Thursday the rebels were prepared to adhere to a ceasefire immediately if the international community could create a "congenial environment".

The government has regularly dismissed any ceasefire and has vowed to crush the rebels.

Separately, the army said it had found diving equipment and underwater "scooters" used by rebel suicide bombers.

The equipment was found after fighting at the village of Ampalavanpokkanai on Thursday.

About 50,000 soldiers are pressing the Tamil Tigers into a patch of north-eastern jungle after taking the key areas of Kilinochchi, Elephant Pass and Mullaitivu.

The Tigers have been fighting for a separate homeland in the north and east for a quarter of a century.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7901321.stm

பொது மக்கள் மீதான தாக்குதலைப் படையினரும் புலிகளும் நிறுத்த வேண்டும் : சர்வதேச மனித உரிமைகள் கண்காணிப்பகம் வலியுறுத்து

வீரகேசரி இணையம் 2/20/2009 3:56:22 PM - இலங்கை அரசாங்கம், வன்னி பிராந்தியத்தில் மேற்கொண்டு வரும் பொது மக்கள் மீதான எறிகணை தாக்குதல்களை உடனடியாக நிறுத்திக் கொள்ள வேண்டும் என சர்வதேச மனித உரிமைகள் கண்காணிப்பகம் வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

அத்துடன் உள்ளக இடப்பெயர்வுகளுக்கு உள்ளாகிய மக்களை, தற்காலிக முகாம்களில் சிறைவைக்கும், அரசாங்கத்தின் கொள்கையையும் மாற்றிக் கொள்ள வேண்டும் என மனித உரிமைகள் கண்காணிப்பகம் வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

இது தொடர்பில் மனித உரிமைகள் கண்காணிப்பகத்தால் இன்று வெளியிடப்படடுள்ள 45 பக்கங்களை கொண்ட அறிக்கை ஒன்றிலேயே இந்த வலியுறுத்தல் விடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

அரசாங்கமும், விடுதலைப் புலிகளும் வன்னியில் உள்ள பொது மக்களின் நலன்களை மீறிச் செயற்படுவதாக அந்த அமைப்பு தனது அறிக்கையில் சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ளது.

அதேவேளை வன்னிப்பிராந்தியத்தினுள், ஊடகங்களுக்கு அனுமதி மறுக்கப்பட்டு, அங்கு நடைபெறுகின்ற விடயங்கள் வெளிவருவதைத் தடுக்க அரசாங்கம் முனைவதாகவும் அதில் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது.

பொது மக்களுக்கு எதிரான இந்த யுத்தம் உடனடியாக நிறுத்தப்பட வேண்டும் என இந்த அறிக்கையின் ஊடாக, மனித உரிமைகள் கண்காணிப்பகத்தின் சட்ட மற்றும் கொள்கை பணிப்பாளர் ஜேம்ஸ் ரோஸ் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இராணுவத்தினர், வன்னியில் உள்ள வைத்தியசாலைகள் உள்ளிட்ட பொது இடங்களில் செல்வீச்சுக்களை மேற்கொள்வதுடன், அரசாங்கம் அறிவிக்கும் பாதுகாப்பு வலயப் பிரதேசங்களிலும் அவர்கள் தாக்குதல்களை நடத்தி வருவதாக அவர் சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ளார்.

அதேவேளை தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள் தமது கட்டுப்பாட்டில் உள்ள மக்களைப் பாதுகாப்பு வலயங்களுக்கு வர அனுமதிக்க வேண்டும் எனவும் சர்வதேச மனித உரிமைகள் கண்காணிப்பகம் கோரியுள்ளது.

இரண்டு தரப்பினருக்கும் இடையில் இடம்பெற்று வரும் யுத்தம் காரணமாக கடந்த சில மாதங்களில் சுமார் 2 ஆயிரம் பொது மக்கள் கொல்லப்பட்டதுடன், 5 ஆயிரம் பேர் காயமடைந்திருப்பதாகவும் அந்த அமைப்பு சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ளது.

பொது மக்கள் இவ்வாறு பாதிப்புகளுக்கு உள்ளாவதற்கு இரு தரப்பினரும் பொறுப்பு கூற வேண்டும் என மனித உரிமைகள் கண்காணிப்பகம் தனது அறிக்கையில் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளது.விடுதலைப் புலிகள் தமது கட்டுப்பாட்டில் உள்ள பொது மக்களை மென்மேலும் சிறிய இடங்களுக்குள் தள்ளி வருவதாகவும் அந்த அமைப்பு குற்றம் சுமத்தியுள்ளது.

அத்துடன் தமது கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இருந்து தப்பிச் செல்ல முயலும் பொது மக்கள் மீது விடுதலைப் புலிகள் தாக்குதல்களை மேற்கொள்வதாகக் குற்றம் சாட்டியுள்ள அந்த அமைப்பு அவ்வாறான தாக்குதல்களையும் நிறுத்திக் கொள்ள வேண்டும் என வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

யுத்த சட்டங்களை மீறிய வன்முறைகளை நிறுத்தி இரு தரப்பினரும் பொது மக்களின் நலனில் அக்கறை செலுத்த வேண்டும் எனவும் சர்வதேச மனித உரிமைகள் கண்காணிப்பகம் மேலும் அறிவுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

- வீரகேசரி