5 years today - 1700 killed in 2 days,

accountability for rights violations needed says

Amnesty, LTT call on !" for international
intervention
14 May 2014
14 May 2009 - 1700 killed in 48 hours, accountability for rights violations
needed says Anesty, !""# call on $% to lead international intervention
&hotogra'h( )ar )ithout )itness
"he *nternational +oittee of the ,ed +ross said its staff -ere -itnessing
an .uniaginable huanitarian catastro'he/ in the 0o 1ire 2ones that "ail
civilians -ere tra''ed -ithin3
4es'ite high-level assurances, the lack of security on the ground eans
that our sea o'erations continue to be stalled and this is unacce'table,5
said the *+,+ director of o'erations, &ierre 6rahenbuhl3
)e need security and uni'eded access no- in order to save hundreds of
lives,5 he further added3
%ee 'ress release here3
Anesty *nternational -elcoing the $% 'resident7s stateent on %ri
!anka also called on the $0 %ecurity +ouncil to kee' %ri !anka on its
agenda and ensure that those res'onsible for violations of international
huan rights la- -ere brought to 8ustice3
"he %ecurity +ouncil ust no- ensure that its deands are 'ro'tly
i'leented, that the situation in %ri !anka is forally 'ut on the +ouncil/s
agenda and ke't under close revie-3 *t also needs to address
accountability for the grave violations of international huanitarian and
huan rights la- by both 'arties in future5 said %a 2arifi, Anesty
*nternational/s Asia-&acific 4irector3
%ee 'ress release here3
"he !""# &eace %ecretariat in a stateent, said aid -orkers had estiated
that over 1700 civilians had been killed and 9000 had been in8ured during
%ri !ankan governent shelling -ithin the s'ace of 48 hours3
+ondening the %ri !ankan governent/s refusal to 'rovide the *+,+ safe
entry into the 0o 1ire 2one, the !""# reiterated its calls on the international
counity to 'rotect the civilians fro the .ongoing carnage by taking
-hatever easure re:uired3/
%ee full stateent here3
"he !""# 'olitical head further -elcoed the $% &resident/s calls for a
ceasefire and for international access to the 0o 1ire 2one3
;#ela "ails earnestly look for-ard to &resident <arack =baa to lead
the huanitarian intervention,5 said the <3 0adesan3
%ee full stateent here3
Mean-hile <ritish "ails continued their 'rotests in &arliaent %:uare for
the 98th consecutive day, in -hat -ould eventually becoe the longest
'rotest outside 'arliaent in odern history3
1# $ay 201%
$ullivaikal&s make-shift hos'ital in the (o )ire *one +as shelled for the second
consecutive day, killing over 100 civilians including medical staff at the hos'ital
re'orted Tamil(et and the ,,-.
The !" /resident ,arack 0bama, in a statement on "ri Lanka, urged the government
to sto' indiscriminate shelling of the (o )ire *one and allo+ international access to
civilians.
1tracts from statement re'roduced belo+.
$ullivaikal&s make-shift hos'ital in the (o )ire *one +as shelled for the second
consecutive day, killing over 100 civilians including medical staff at the hos'ital
re'orted Tamil(et and the ,,-.
Object 1
*7 also calling on the %ri !ankan governent to take several ste's to
alleviate this huanitarian crisis3 1irst, the governent should sto' the
indiscriinate shelling that has taken hundreds of innocent lives, including
several hos'itals, and the governent should live u' to its coitent to
not use heavy -ea'ons in the conflict >one3?
?%econd, the governent should give $nited 0ations huanitarian teas
access to the civilians -ho are tra''ed bet-een the -arring 'arties so that
they can receive the iediate assistance necessary to save lives3?
?"hird, the governent should also allo- the $nited 0ations and the
*nternational +oittee of the ,ed +ross access to nearly 190,000
dis'laced 'eo'le -ithin %ri !anka so that they can receive additional
su''ort that they need35
The US president also called on the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms.
The TNA, speaking at a press conference, further added that 3000 Tamils had een killed in
genocidal acts y the Sri !ankan go"ernment o"er the pre"ious 3 days.
"he governent of %ri !anka is ass killing "ail civilians after denying
the food and edicine3 "his is the reality3 More bloodshed can ha''en in
the ne@t fe- days3 )e a''eal to the international counity to
iediately sto' this systeatic slaughtering of civilians3 "here is a
genocide taking 'lace in Aanni3 "he entire international counity is being
silent35
See full statement here
Tamil Guardian 12 May 2014-12 May 2009 - Bos'ital
bobed, satellite 'hotos 'rove shelling in 0o 1ire 2one, $% C $6 call for
cease-fire
Aftermath of hospital shelling #hotograph$TamilNet
47 civilians -ere killed during shelling of a 0o 1ire >one hos'ital -hich -as
functioning at a school in Mullivaikal, re'orted "ail0et3
"his hos'ital -as set u' in res'onse to the shelling of a 'revious hos'ital
the -eek before3
0e- satellite iages, further 'roved that the %ri !ankan governent -as
still using heavy -ea'ons and shelling the 0o 1ire 2one said Buan ,ights
)atch3
,ecent satellite 'hotos and -itness accounts sho- the brutal shelling of
civilians in the conflict area goes on, ; said the %outh Asia director of
Buan ,ights )atch <rad Adas3
)itness accounts 'ublished by Buan ,ights )atch illustrated the adverse
conditions of shelling and starvation that "ail civilians -ere facing in the
0o 1ire 2one3
%ee full re'ort here3
"he $% and $6 in a 8oint stateent called on all sides to end hostilities and
allo- for the safe evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians in the 0o 1ire
2one3
"he $% %ecretary of %tate, Billary +linton, and <ritish 1oreign %ecretary,
4avid Miliband, called on the %ri !ankan governent to .abide by its
coitent of A'ril 27 to end a8or cobat o'eration and the use of
heavy -ea'ons3/
%ee full stateent here3
11 May 2014
11 May 2009 - 9200 civilians killed overnight in 0o 1ire 2one, <ritish
1oreign %ec calls on $0 %ecurity +ouncil action, )estinster blockaded by
"ail 'rotesters
=ver 9,200 civilians -ere killed in another night of indiscriinate shelling of
the 0o 1ire 2one by the %ri !ankan air-force and ilitary, the head of a
local 0D= -orking in the Aanni area, re'orted3
Medical staff -ere not able to re'ort to duty as areas around their
residential huts had faced heavy shelling, local sources said3
"he <ritish 1oreign Minister, 4avid Miliband, s'eaking to the $0 %ecurity
+ouncil said that the conflict in %ri !anka should be raised to the security
council, re'orted ,euters3
=ur essage *s a si'le one, -hich is that the killing ust sto'3 "he
civilians tra''ed in the >one, u' to E0,000 in an area of 8ust 9 s:uare
kiloetres are the victis of -hat at the oent is a -ar -ithout -itness3
* believe very strongly that the civilian situation in the northeast of %ri
!anka erits the attention of the $nited 0ations at all levels, ; he said3
&rotests in the dias'ora intensified across the $6, 0or-ay, 1rance, $%,
Australia, Derany %-it>erland, and 4enark3
<ritish "ails, once again, blocked the streets of )estinster in a sit do-n
'rotest calling for international action to sto' the killings of "ail civilians3
=ver a thousand <ritish "ails blocked the streets -ith 9F 'rotestors
arrested, re'orted the #vening %tandard3
A 19 year old student e@'ressed outrage at the <ritish governent/s
relative inaction on %ri !anka3
"he 'olice lost control3 "hey tried to sto' us but -e are very angry3 )e
have been here for 94 days and %ri !anka are still killing out 'eo'le3 <ritain
ust do ore,5 she told the #vening %tandard3
Mean-hile the $nited 0ations s'okes'erson in %ri !anka, called for
international access into the 0o 1ire 2one3
)e don/t have any inde'endent assessent of the condition of 'eo'le
inside the >one but -e understand that alnutrition levels are e@treely
high, not to ention of course battlefield casualties,? said Dordon )eiss3
"he !""# in a stateent said that over 2,000 "ail civilians had been killed
in the recent night of shelling and called for the international counity to
sto' the .genocidal tendencies/ of the %ri !ankan governent3
%ee full stateent here3
% years today & 'hemical urns and phosphorous in(uries seen on fleeing ci"ilians report doctors at
)rench field hospital
10 May 2014-10 May 2009 - Chemical burns and
phosphorous injuries seen on fleeing civilians report doctors at
French field hospital, oronto brought to stand-still as amils
protest against ensuing massacre
4octors at a 1rench field hos'ital described seeing in8uries consistent -ith
cheical burnson civilians fleeing the 0o 1ire 2one +ivilians and ?soe -ith
-hite hands, 'ossibly caused by burns fro 'hos'horus?, A1& re'orted3
,escue -orkers counted at least 1200 dead bodies follo-ing a night of
intense shelling in the 0o 1ire 2one, re'orted "ail0et3
Mean-hile the city of "oronto -as brought to a stand-still as "ails
'rotesting against the ensuing carnage in the 0o 1ire 2one, blockaded the
city7s roads, and brought traffic to a halt3
A 'rotester, outlining that she -ould risk everything to dra- attention to
the suffering in %ri !anka, s'eaking to +anadian 'ress said,
?)e don7t care -hat ha''ens to us3 0o one -ants to cause an
inconvenience but3 ebers of the counity have their blood relatives
assacred and killed in the ost inhuan -ays3?
#hoto( "he %tar
1orer %'ecial ,a''orteurs for the $nited 0ations Buan ,ights +ouncil,
condening the -orsening situation in %ri !anka, called on the +ouncil to
establish an investigative coission3
%hi'ents of food and edicine to the ?no fire >one? have been grossly
insufficient over the 'ast onth and the Dovernent has re'ortedly
delayed or denied tiely shi'ent of life saving edicines as -ell as to
chlorine tablets3 As a result of the blackout on inde'endent inforation
sources, it is i'ossible to verify any of the Dovernent7s clais as to the
nuber of casualties to date or as to the ste's that it says it is taking in
order to inii>e the further killing of innocent civilians, and ensure
delivery of huanitarian assistance,5 said the forer $0 officials3
"he !""# urged the international counity to act and sto' the killing of
civilians3
#@tracts fro the stateent issued by the !""# are re'roduced belo-(
"he %ri !anka governent has unleashed its ferocious ilitary aggression
against the ha'less "ail civilians living in the so called .%afe-2one in
Aanni3 More than 2,000 innocent civilians have been killed in the last 24
hours35
;"he international counity and $0 have an obligation to 'rotect the
"ail 'eo'le facing genocidal aggression directed in a anner against ll
international huanitarian la-s3 *t is clear that the %ri !ankan governent
has 'revented all aid agencies and huanitarian organisations fro visiting
the conflict >one35
;)e -ould like to 'oint out that the starvation of civilians as a ethod of
-arfare, constitutes an act of genocide and a -ar crie35
;"hroughout the entire e@istence of our liberation struggle, -e have al-ays
e@tended our ost courteous coo'eration to the huanitarian relief
organisations that have sought to 'rovide relief of our 'eo'le35
May 09 2009 - 0o 1ire 2one assault continues, B,) confirs hos'ital
bobings, +4 8ournalists e@'elled
"he assault on the 0o 1ire 2one continued -ith the ake-shift hos'ital in
Mullaithivu seeing another influ@ of in8ured "ail civilians, re'orts "ail0et3
Buan ,ights )atch, listing at least 90 incidents of hos'itals being shelled
in the 0o 1ire 2one, alleged that %ri !ankan ared forces had re'eatedly
shelled hos'itals in the 0orthern Aanni region in indiscriinate attacks3
Bos'itals are su''osed to be sanctuaries fro shelling, not targets, said
the Asia director at Buan ,ights )atch35
A -itness fro the 0o 1ire 2one gave Buan ,ights )atch the follo-ing
account(
?* -as in the hos'ital3 ,ight after 12(90 '33, * noticed a %ri !anka ilitary
drone conducting reconnaissance above the hos'ital3 "he 'eo'le in the
hos'ital sus'ected that an attack -as iinent, so they lay do-n on the
ground3 %hortly thereafter, -e heard a loud e@'losion in the air, follo-ed by
several saller e@'losions on the ground3 =ne of the e@'losions took 'lace
only a cou'le of eters fro e3 =ne of the doctors, -ho -as lying 8ust
ne@t to e, -as killed by a shra'nel 'iece that hit hi in the head3 1our or
five 'eo'le -ere killed and ore than 90 -ere -ounded in the attack3?
"he %ri !ankan governent announced that it -ould ove dis'laced 'eo'le
fro Aanni into 'eranent detention centersG in "henaraadchi3
HG"ail civilians -ere ke't in 'eranent detention centers for over 2 years
and soe still -ait to be resettled in their original areas3I
Mean-hile +hannel4 0e-s/ 8ournalists re'orting fro "rincoalee -ere
arrested and sent back to +olobo after filing horrific conditions in the
governent run *4& ca's, re'orted +hannel 4 0e-s3
May 8 2009 - +ivilians and *+,+ bobed in 0o 1ire 2one, $0 urged to
fulfill duty and sto' genocide of "ails
"he 0o 1ire 2one faced continuous bobardent by the %ri !ankan air-
force, leaving at least 242 civilians in8ured and countless dead,
re'orts "ailnet3
*+,+ vehicles trans'orting civilians -ere also hit by %ri !ankan ilitary
bobs3
Mean-hile &rofessor <oyle of $niversity *llinois +ollege of !a-, -arned that
the $0 %ecretary Deneral <an 6i-oon, had a charter obligation in
.'rooting and encouraging res'ect for huan rights and for fundaental
freedos,,/ by doing all in his 'o-er to halt the on-going genocide of
"ails3
%ee full stateent here3
07 May 2009 - Buanitarian situation -orsens, !""# -elcoes *+,+,
<ritish "ails enter second onth of continuous 'rotest
"he !""# in a letter to the *+,+, thanked the organisation for its
huanitarian efforts des'ite facing shelling fro the governent and
reaffired its coitent to the safety of huanitarian -orkers3
%ee full letter here3
<ritish "ails continued to deonstrate outside &arliaent -ith deands
for an iediate ceasefire and action to address the huanitarian crisis
faced by the "ails in Aanni and *4& ca's3
"he 'rotesters -ho had deonstrated in 'arliaent s:uare for a onth,
reaffired that there endless actions -ere intended to highlight the need to
end the huanitarian crisis3
<ritish "ail students in a stateent, said,
;Buanitarian intervention has taken 'lace in any 'arts of the -orld to
save 'eo'le that have been sub8ect to violence, ethnic cleansing and
starvation by blockade35
;*t is only because of the 4ias'ora that the international counity is
'aying attention to the suffering "ails in %ri !anka3 <ut -hat is needed
no- is action by the international counity not erely -ords of
sy'athy35
%ee e@tracts fro stateent here3
0F May 2009 - *4& death toll rises, call for $0 -ar cries 'robe
Aid intense shelling of civilians tra''ed by advancing %ri !ankan forces, at
least 10 elderly 'eo'le in governent-run *nternally 4is'laced &ersons
H*4&I ca's died this day due lack of a lack of 'ro'er edical care and
'sychological stress, "ail0et re'orts3
Mean-hile, aidst the escalating death tolls, 12E acadeics fro +anada
and else-here signed a 'etition calling on the +anadian governent to
take urgent ste's to sto' the intensifying huanitarian crisis3
Aongst other things they called on +anada to ;$rge the $0 %ecurity
+ouncil to authori>e tiely and decisive easures to halt ass atrocities in
the Aanni region of %ri !anka, including the dis'atch of a s'ecial envoy to
the region, and the creation of a coission of in:uiry into cries under
international la- coitted by any 'erson or entity35
%ee the re'ort here and the full te@t of their a''eal here3
0E May 2009 - Aanni starves, !""# condens genocide and calls on
international counity to su''ort dias'ora aid initiatives
A 0D= 'roviding food to civilians -ithin Aanni, in a onthly situation
u'date, said that over 100 "ail 'eo'le had died of starvation3
%ee full re'ort here3
"he !""# in a stateent condening the %ri !anka governent/s denial of
aid to 0o 1ire 2one/s urged the international counity to su''ort
dias'ora initiatives to 'rovide aid directly the "ail civilian sin the 0o 1ire
2one, re'orted "ail0et3
&rofessor <oyle of $niversity of *llinois +ollege of !a-, -arned that the %ri
!ankan governent/s genocide against "ails could e@ceed the atrocities of
%rebrenica3
%'eaking to "ail0et he said,
"he )orld +ourt later found that the %erbian e@terination of 8000
<osnian Musli en and boys at %rebrenica -as genocide in violation of
the Denocide +onvention3 %ince the outset the latest crisis in January, the
D=%! has e@terinated about 7000G "ails in Aanni, certainly a
.substantial 'art/ of the "ail 'o'ulation in Aanni and %ri !anka3 *f not
sto''ed no-, the D=%!/ toll of genocide against "ails could far e@ceed
recent horrors of %rebrenica3?
HG"he *nternal ,evie- &anel ,e'ort on %ri !anka, 'ublished by the $0 in
2012 estiated the total civilian death toll to be around 70,0003I
%onali )ickreatunge in a stateent ade after receiving her urdered
husband/s $0#%+= )orld &ress 1reedo &ri>e, condened the %ri !ankan
governent/s .racist -ar/ against "ails3
Bighlighting doinant governent -ar slogans relating to race, she said,
"hat this is a racist -ar is not a secret3 "he governent itself has
'lastered the countryside -ith enorous 'lacards lauding the ilitary -ith
the slogan, in %inhala, the language of the %inhalese a8ority -hich * too,
belong, stating( .%oldiers, our race salutes youK/ 0ot .the 'eo'le/, not .the
country/, but the race3 *nterestingly, none of these hoardings are in "ail,
the language of the 'eo'le the governent clais it is seeking to liberate35
* beseech you and anyone -ho -ill listen not to allo- %ri !anka7s
governent, under the cover of a -ar against terror, to engage in acts of
terror or cries against huanity3 %oon it -ill be too late, and history -ill
not forgive us if -e do not act no-,5 she added3
04 May 2009 - Buan ,ights )atch HB,)I and "ails Against Denocide
H"ADI urge international action, %ri !anka7s ethnic conflict is not 7-ar on
terror7 says $6 1oreign =ffice inister
"he *nternational +riinal +ourt +hief 'rosecutor, Moreno-=ca'o, -as
urged by an advocacy grou' to o'en investigations into -ar cries and
cries against huanity coitted by four high-ranking officials in the %ri
!ankan governent, re'orts "ail0et3
"ail Against Denocide H"ADI, in a letter to Moreno, urged the *++ to o'en
investigations against %ri !ankan 'resident Mahinda ,a8a'aksa, 4efence
%ecretary Dotabaya ,a8a'aksa, M& <asil ,a8a'aksa and Ary +oander
%arath 1onseka3
"he :uartet should be investigated for -ar cries, cries against
huanity and genocide of %ri !ankan civilian "ails unconnected -ith the
conflict bet-een the governent and the !""#,5 the letter read3
*n an o'inion 'iece on %ri !anka and the need to address "ail grievances,
the Buan ,ights )atch !egal and &olicy 4irector, Jaes ,oss, -rote,
"he current governent is unlikely to take u' these initiatives on its o-n3
"he $nited %tates and other concerned states have an i'ortant role to
'lay in %ri !anka7s future3 =ther-ise the bloody fighting on the sandy stri'
-ill not be arking the end of the current -ar, but so-ing the seeds of the
ne@t one35
%'eaking on the conflict bet-een the %ri !ankan governent and the !""#
at the Bouse of +oons, the 1oreign =ffice Minister, !ord Malloch-
<ro-n, said,
* share the vie- that .the -ar on terror is a uch abused and overused
'hrase3 =bviously, this is a :uarrel that has ancient roots3 *t is also an
e@treely violent :uarrel, -ith a''alling things being done by both sides35
09 May 2009 - 1ears that ilitary is 're'aring to use illegal -ea'ons, after
re'ort of a shi'ent of gas asks being i'orted, "0A -arns international
aid -ill be used in -ar against "ails
"he %ri !ankan Military de'loyed heavy and 'rohibited -ea'ons to the
front lines in 're'aration for a final onslaught on the 0o 1ire 2one, sources
in +olobo told "ail0et3
1urther re'orts detailed the shi'ent of gas asks to soldiers in -hat -as
thought to be 're'aration for the use of illegal cheical -ea'ons3
*n a eeting -ith Ja'anese Abassador to %ri !anka Lasushi Akashi, a
tea of "0A 'arliaentarians -arned the di'loat that any aid given to
the %ri !ankan governent -ould be used against the "ails3
"0A 'arliaentarian %uresh &reachandran, in a 'ress brief shortly after
the eeting said,
)e told the Ja'anese Abassador that %ri !anka governent 'lans to
'lace the *nternally 4is'laced "ails held in detention centres 'eranently
in sheds for at least five years and -e asked hi not to give aid eant for
"ails rehabilitation to the governent as it is certain that the oney -ill
be use din the -ar against the "ails instead35
%ee full stateent here3
#astern &rovince 'arliaentarians fro the "0A accused the governent of
a''ro'riating land of dis'laced 'ersons and colonising "ail traditional
areas on the border of "rincoalee and <atticaloa3
02 May 2014 - 0o 1ire 2one hos'ital shelled, international investigation
needed for enduring 'eace says !""#
"he %ri !ankan Ary shelled the final reaining 0o 1ire 2one hos'ital t-ice
killing F4 'eo'le, after receiving the e@act location coordinates of the
building, re'orted "ail0et3
A -orker at the hos'ital, 9 days earlier, confired the hos'ital/s location
-ith ebers of the *+,+ -ho intended to 'ass the location on to the %ir
!ankan governent to sto' the fro shelling hos'itals3
"he !""#, citing their declaration of a ceasefire on A'ril 2F, -arned that %ri
!anka -as a /to eradicate a distinct "ail identity,/ and that international
intervention -ould no- be needed for .enduring 'eace on the island3/
"he stateent further said,
*t is in the face of this situation that -e seek the recognition and the
su''ort of the international counity for our struggle3 *t is a struggle for
deocracy and an enduring 'eace based on our as'irations as a 'eo'le3
%hould the %ri !ankan regie be 'eritted to continue -ith its ultiate
ob8ective of i'osing a .final solution/ through ilitary eans, -e have no
doubt that it -ill destabili>e the region35
%ee full stateent here3
1 May 2009 - *ndiscriinate shelling continues in 0o 1ire 2one, shocking
failure to 'rotect civilians says <ritish 1oreign %ec
"he %ri !ankan Ary, ignoring calls by the visiting <ritish 1oreign %ecretary
for a ceasefire and iediate international access to the 0o 1ire 2one,
continued the relentless shelling of the 0o 1ire 2one killing and in8uring
scores of civilians in Mullivaaikkal3
%ources on the ground told "ail0et that 110 in8ured civilians had been
aditted to the akeshift civilian -hilst 27 in8ured civilians had 'assed
a-ay during the night3
"he 'revious day sa- 200 civilians brought into to the hos'ital -ith 99
deaths3
%ources fro akeshift hos'ital -ere only able to give accounts of 'eo'le
that died in care as severely in8ured civilians and dead bodies -ere being
left in the fields by this stage3
"he <ritish and 1rench envoys s'eaking on their visit to %ri !anka, said,
?"ie is running out for those tra''ed or dis'laced by the fighting3 =ur
ission -as si'le( to ake, in 'erson, the case for the huanitarian
relief that the $0, the #$ and the D8 have called for3?
?Bere the refusal to allo- the $0, the aid agencies and the edia full and
'ro'er access is :uite -rong3?
?As ebers of the $0 %ecurity +ouncil -e do not shy a-ay fro the
res'onsibility of sovereign governents and the international counity to
'rotect civilians

90 A'ril 2009 - %atellite iages confir shelling of 0o 1ire 2one, over 7000
"ails killed in 9 onths alleges "0A
!eaked satellite iagery fro the $nited 0ations *nstitute for "raining and
,esearch H$0*"A,I, revealed evidence of %ri !ankan shelling in the 0o 1ire
2one, -here 100000 "ail civilians -ere estiated to be, re'orted
the *nner +ity &ress3
"he "ail 0ational Alliance, in a briefing to the <ritish 1oreign %ecretary,
alleged that over 7,000G civilians had been killed in Aanni -ith at least
14,000 in8ured over the 'revious three onths3
%'eaking at a 'ress eet, "0A M& %uresh &reachandran said,
%ri !anka governent -hich had deceived the "ails for the last 90 years
is no- deceiving the *nternational +ountries3 *t is killing its o-n citi>ens in
violation of all the conventions of the $0 including the one on Buan
,ights -hich the %ri !anka governent has ratified35
;)hy should the international counity -hich had successfully ade
6osovo an inde'endent state for the killing of 1E00 'eo'le reain 'assive
though ore than 7000 "ails have been killed in the last 9 onths
aloneM5 he added3
"he "ail Duardian in its editorial -rote,
"hose -ho think that the !""# -ill be destroyed in the coing -eeks and
that then it is a :uestion of 7'eace building7 and 7develo'ent7 for the ne@t
fe- years are gravely istaken3 "he foundations for a cataclysic civil -ar
are being ine@orably laid today3 "he kind of 'olarisation that sustain not
decades, but generations of struggle has becoe -ides'read and
ebedded35
HG"he "0A estiates -hich echoed 'ublished $0 estiates -ere later
found to be drastically inaccurate3 Anonyous $0 officials, s'eaking to a
1rench foreign corres'ondent in June 2009, said,
?)e rang the alar bells for soe onths but no-one ever took the %ri
!ankan governent to task 'ublicly3*t gave the governent a blank che:ue
to car'et bob the -hole area3?
"he $nited 0ations in an internal revie- 'anel re'ort later found that,
7%een together, the failure of the $0 to ade:uately counter the
Dovernent/s under-estiation of 'o'ulation nubers in the Aanni,
thefailure to ade:uately confront the Dovernent on its obstructions to
huanitarian assistance, the un-illingness of the $0 in $0BN and +olobo
to address Dovernent res'onsibility for attacks that -ere killing civilians,
and the tone and content of $0 counications -ith the Dovernent on
these issues, collectively aounted to a failure by the $0 to act -ithin the
sco'e of institutional andates to eet 'rotection res'onsibilities37I
29 A'ril 2009 - Bos'ital attacked in 0o 1ire 2one, <ritish 1oreign %ec calls
for ceasefire, %ri !anka do-n'lays casualty figures
"he %ri !ankan 0avy fired artillery at a ake-shift hos'ital -ithin the 0o
1ire 2one, in Mullivaaikkal, killing 'atients, "ail0et re'orted3
=ver 1F0 civilian bodies -ere recovered follo-ing intense gunfire earlier in
the day, -ith another 1E0 feared dead by the evening3
"he <ritish 1oreign %ecretary, 4avid Miliband, during a one day visit to the
island, calledon the %ri !ankan governent to declare an iediate
ceasefire3
?0o- is the tie for the fighting to sto'3 'rotection of civilians is absolutely
'araount in our inds,? he said to 'ress in %ri !anka3
HG!eaked di'loatic cables revealed a year later that Miliband7s tri' to %ri
!anka to call for a ceasefire -as 'art result of the strong 'rotests and
7vocal7 'resence of "ails in 'arliaent s:uare3I
Mahinda ,a8a'aksa in a stateent said that 1E,000G civilians reained in
the 0o 1ire 2one3
HG$0 estiates 'ublished in the &anel of #@'orts ,e'ort in 2011 stated that
over 127,177 civilians reained in the 0o 1ire 2one3I
Mean-hile internally dis'laced 'eo'les deanded that they be resettled in
their original hoes3
Mebers of the "ail dias'ora continued to 'rotest and deand their
governents to take action to sto' further deaths of "ail civilians3 "ails
in !ondon, &aris, "oronto, %-it>erland and several other cities 'rotested
outside buildings of governance3
28 A'ril 2009 - +arnage ensues in 0o 1ire 2one
$n'recedented levels of shelling and aerial bobardent -ere re'orted by
edical facility -orkers -ithin the 0o 1ire 2one, -ho said that the -ounded
-ere left to die as shelling -as so intense that 'eo'le could not ove out
of their bunkers to retrieve bodies3
"he !""# told "ail0et that over E,F00 shells had been fired into the 0o
1ire 2one -ithin the s'ace of 1E hours, in -hat -as the ost intense day
of shelling the 0o 1ire 2one had seen to date3
27 A'ril 2009 - Aerial bobardent of 0o 1ire 2one, $6 'oliticians -arn of
carnage of uniaginable agnitude
"he %ri !ankan Air 1orce continued the onslaught in the 0o 1ire 2one,
dro''ing at least 29 bobs and countless shells into the civilian 'o'ulation,
re'orted "ail0et3

#arlier assurances to sto' using heavy -ea'ons around the 0o 1ire 2one by
the %ri !ankan governent 'roved futile as hundreds of "ail civilians -ere
in8ured and several killed by the areal bobardent3
"he !""# 4irector of the &eace %ecretariat, &ulidevan, s'eaking to
"ail0et, said that %ri !anka -as ;atte'ting to deceive the *nternational
+ounity35

Mean-hile the All &arty &arliaentary Drou' for "ails HA&&D"I, a cross-
'arty coittee of M&s in <ritain, called on the international counity to
'revent the .final onslaught/ of the %ri !anka Ary -hich -ould result in
;carnage of uniaginable agnitude35
%ee full A&&D" stateent here3
2F A'ril 2009 - ,elentless bobing of 0o 1ire 2one, %ri !anka re8ects !""#
ceasefire announceent, <ritish "ail enters 20th day of fast
=ver 200 civilians -ere in8ured and several died after the %ri !ankan air
force indiscriinately bobed the 0o 1ire 2one 99 ties,
re'orted "ail0et3
%ources in the 0o 1ire 2one also re'orted an increasing nuber of ilitary
'ersonnel around the borders of the 0o 1ire 2one, s'reading fears of an
iinent aerial and ground assault into the 0o 1ire 2one3
*n a stateent that ackno-ledged international concerns, the !""# 'olitical
division announced a unilateral ceasefire3
%ee full stateent here3
"he %ri !ankan governent res'onded iediately, re8ecting the idea of a
ceasefire as a .8oke/ re'orted "he Duardian3
Mean-hile a <ritish "ail activist, entered the 20th day of his hunger strike
in &arliaent %:uare, calling for an end to the genocide of "ails3 &rotests
in &arliaent %:uare continued day after day, calling for international
intervention to sto' a genocide3
2E A'ril 2009 - %ri !ankan governent denies vital aid to the 0o 1ire 2one
A 13E Mega "onne )orld 1ood &rograe H)1&I shi'ent that -as
scheduled to arrive at the coastal region of the 0o fire 2one, Mullivaikal,
-as diverted to Jaffna at by the %ri !ankan governent, re'orted "ailnet3
"he diversion cae as earlier re'orts fro the 0o 1ire 2one suggested that
1FE000 "ail civilians -ere about to face a huanitarian disaster3
2E A'ril 2009 - Jayalalitha concludes inde'endent #ela is only solution
"he "ail 0adu o''osition 'arty leader, Jayara Jayalalitha, after seeing
evidence of ass atrocities in the 0o 1ire 2one, concluded that an
inde'endent "ail #ela -as the only solution to the ethnic conflict in %ri
!anka3
;"ill today, * have never said that a se'arate #ela is the only solution3 *
have s'oken about 'olitical solution this and that3 <ut, no- * e'hatically
say, a se'arate #ela is the only 'eranent solution to the !ankan
conflict,5 she said3
%ee full stateent here3
24 A'ril 2009 - $0 confirs at least 20000 casualties, %! re8ects aid envoy
$nited 0ations docuents confired that at least FE00 civilians had died
and 14000 -ounded over the 'revious three onths, re'orted "he
Duardian3
$0 officials told "he Duardian that A'ril had seen at least 2000 civilians
killed and an increasing rate of death3
"he *nternal ,evie- &anel ,e'ort on %ri !anka, 'ublished by the $0 in
2012 estiated the total civilian death toll to be around 70,0003
"he $nited 0ations %ecretary Deneral, <an 6i-oon announced the
dis'atch of a huanitarian tea to the conflict >one3 "he $0
announceent -as iediately re8ected by %ri !ankan 4efence %ecretary
Dotabhaya ,a8a'aksa, -ho said,
*t is not a sensible thing at the oent3 "here is a civilian rescue
o'eration going on in the area and allo-ing aid agencies inside the conflict
>one is not atching -ith the ground realities3?
24 A'ril 2009 - !""# call on international counity to 'rovide aid for over
1FE000 starving civilians
"he !iberation "igers of "ail #ela H!""#I, in a stateent to the
international counity ,said that over 1FE000 "ail civilians faced a
huanitarian disaster due to denial of food and huanitarian su''lies by
the %ri !ankan governent, and urged actors to ensure that iediate and
continuous aid to the "ail civilians3
%ee full stateent here3
29 A'ril 2009 O 1urther shelling of churches and *+,+ regions
"he church in Aalaignarada -as shelled for the second consecutive day,
in8uring and killing several social -elfare 'ersonnel, re'orted "ailnet3
1urther instances of shelling of coastlines -here in8ured "ail civilians -ere
looking to be evacuated by the *+,+ shi' -ere re'orted fro the ground3
29 A'ril 2009 O *ndia calls for 'olitical solution and an end to killings of
"ail civilians
"he ongoing carnage cae as the *ndian #@ternal Affairs Minister &ranab
Mukher8ee, calling for the killings to sto', -arned that only a 'olitical
solution -ould ensure true lasting 'eace3
%'eaking to edia after an hour long eeting on the situation in %ri !anka
he said,
)e are very unha''y at the continued killing of innocent "ail civilians in
%ri !anka3 "hese killings ust sto'3 "he only lasting solution -ill coe fro
'olitical efforts to address the real concerns of the "ail 'eo'le, giving
the a life of dignity -ithin the %ri !ankan ainstrea35
22 A'ril 2009 - *+,+ intiidated, churches shelled and $% reiterates calls
for international access into 0o 1ire 2one
"he %ri !ankan Military fired shells in close range of an *+,+ shi' a short
tie after e@act co-ordinates of the evacuation shi' -ere given to the %ri
!ankan governent, sources on the ground told "ail0et3
1urther re'orts fro the 0o 1ire 2one, said that 'roinent 'laces of refuge
such as a church in Aalaignarada had been shelled by the %ri !ankan
ilitary3
"he $% state de'artent, in a 'ress brief on %ri !anka, re'eated calls on
the governent to allo- international aid agencies and observers into the
0o 1ire 2one3
"he $% official also stressed the need to ascertain the nuber of 'eo'le
reaining in the 0o 1ire 2one3
Mean-hile, an official fro the !""# 'olitical division estiated that over
200,000 "ail civilians reained in the 0o 1ire 2one3
21 A'ril 2009 - %ri !ankan governent delays aid to Aanni
"he %ri !ankan governent delayed the de'arture of a )orld 1ood
&rograe H)1&I aid shi' to take su''lies to conflict affected regions in
Aanni3
"he governent had sto''ed the shi' for leaving des'ite having the
e@act co-ordinates of the docking 'oint in Aanni, officials fro the
Aavuniyaa 4istrict %ecretariat told"ailnet3
%ituational re'orts for the 'revious onth sho-ed that only a :uarter of
the re:uired aid had reached "ail civilians in the conflict regions3
21 A'ril 2009 - %outh African 'olitical 'arty ebers conden ethnic
cleansing and stress need to consider 'olitical solution
"he %olidarity Drou' for &eace and Justice in %ri !anka, -hich consisted of
ebers of the African 0ational +ongress HA0+I, +ongress of %outh
African "rade $nions H+=%A"$I and %outh African +ounist &arty H%A+&I
grou's condened the .ethnic killings/ "ail civilians by %ri !anka
governent forces3
"he %outh African organisation in their stateent -arned,
"he 'ursuit of a ilitary solution not in favour of a viable 'olitical
frae-ork addressing the legitiate grievances of the "ail
'eo'le and their as'irations for self-deterination reains the
fundaental barrier bet-een 'eranent 'eace aid an unfolding
huanitarian disaster3?
*f a 'olicy of ethnic cleansing continues to be 'ursued by the %ri
!ankan adinistration, the %olidarity Drou' and its affiliates -ill be
'oised to take strong easures in 'ressuring the state to acce't
an unconditional ceasefire3?
%ee full stateent here3
20 A'ril 2009 - %hells, cluster bobs and hos'ital attacks leave thousands
in8ured
"he %ri !ankan ilitary in one of the ost deadly offensives of the 2009
conflict bobarded the 0o 1ire 2one -ith shells and cluster bobs in8uring
over 1000 civilians and leaving countless dead, sources on the ground told
"ailnet3
1urther re'orts said that the &uthaathalan akeshift hos'ital -ithin 0o
1ire 2one had been hit by several shells causing severe in8uries3
"he *nternational +oittee of the ,ed +ross H*+,+I +ountry +hief, also
e@'ressed concern over the lack of edical aid for the 'eo'le in the 0o 1ire
2one3
"he situation there is very difficult3 "he akeshift health facilities
that are still e@isting are not iune of the effects of the
hostilities35 &aul +astella told the <<+3
"he Ministry of Bealth staff still -orking there is really -orn out -
these 'eo'le are -orking for onths no- -ithout any break, they
-ork day and night3 And edical su''lies are lacking,5 he added3
20 A'ril 2009 - !""# -elcoes $% stateent, say it7s -illing to discuss key
issues -ith international counity
"he !iberation "igers of "ail #ela, in a stateent by its 'olitical
head:uarters, -elcoing the $% state de'artent/s calls for a ceasefire,
urged the %ri !ankan governent to sto' ilitary actions and coit to an
iediate ceasefire3
"he !""# further added that they -ere coitted to eaningful negations
-ith the international counity on issues related to huanitarian access,
security and the oveent and -elfare of the "ail civilian 'o'ulation3
%ee full stateent here3
20 A'ril 2009 - "housands of "ail 'rotestors blockade roads in !ondon
After -itnessing a -eekend of carnage in the 0o 1ire 2one, thousands of
"aildeonstrators s-elled onto roads outside the Bouses of &arliaent in
!ondon3
=ver 2E00 'rotestors te'orarily blocked the roads leading u' to
)estinster <ridge in des'erate atte'ts to force international action to
sto' the ongoing slaughter of "ail civilians3
A'ril 19 2009 - "ail +ivilian deaths and casualties continue in 0o 1ire
2one
+ivilian casualties and deaths continued to escalate as re'orts suggested
that %ri !ankan ilitary shelling killed F0 civilians and left over 100 in8ured3
Medical authorities fro akeshift hos'itals said that death tolls -ere
inaccurate as dead bodies -ere not being brought back to hos'itals,
re'orted "ailnet3
470 -ounded 'atients -ere sent to *+,+ aid shi's at the end of the -eek3
%'eaking to"he Duardian a doctor on the shi', Dnana Dunalan, said,
Most of the 'eo'le have shell blast in8uries and gunshot in8uries3
%oe 'eo'le have lost their libs, other 'eo'le have lost other
'arts of the body, soe 'eo'le have -ounds in the abdoen,
soe in the chest3?
A'ril 19 2009 - <ritish 1oreign %ecretary calls for an iediate ceasefire
"he <ritish 1oreign %ecretary, 4avid Miliband, in a stateent, aintained
calls for an iediate ceasefire in %ri !anka, and for "ail civilians to be
allo-ed to leave the conflict area3
&rotests and deonstrations around the -orld have highlighted the tragic
loss of life of innocent civilians in %ri !anka3 1urther loss of life -ill only
co'ound the tragedy3 )e have heard their voice and -ill kee' listening3
)e are coitted to do all -e can to bring this terrible conflict to an
end,5 said the 1oreign %ecretary 4avid Miliband3
"he Australian ca'ital of +anberra earlier that -eek sa- over 8E00 "ails
take 'art in a rally to deand an iediate ceasefire in %ri !anka and an
end to atrocities coitted against the "ails3
"ailnet re'orted that a 'eace activist, !ara &ullin, -ho cae to see the
deonstrations that -eek, said,
"he rallies by the "ails have gathered the sae oentu that
* sa- during the 're #ast-"ior inde'endence tie and Anti-
a'artheid oveentP one gets the feeling -here "ails have coe
to a stage -here they are saying .#nough is #nough/
Mean-hile, "ailnet re'orted that F7 social -elfare "ail dias'ora
organisations in 1rance, in a secret ballot, sho-ed unanious su''ort for
the *nde'endence struggle of "ails in %ri !anka3
18 A'ril 2009 - "ail civilians on verge of dying of starvation in 0o 1ire
2one
"housands of "ail civilians -ere on the verge of dying by starvation in the
0o 1ire 2one , sources on the ground told "ailnet3
A $nited 0ations official in +olobo further said, that the
situational re'ort by the Mullaitheevu 4istrict %ecretariat had re:uested for
food and rations to feed at least 90E,219 'eo'le3 Buanitarian aid figures
suggested that only 22Q of the aid needed had reached the 0o 1ire 2one
in the onth of March3
Bighlighting the e@tent of alnutrition in the 0o 1ire 2one, the re'ort said,
A nutrition survey conducted by the 4e'artent of health, Mullaitivu
4istrict in last -eek of March, 2009, indicates that F9391Q of children -ere
under -eight and acute under nutrition is very uch increased3 "he re'ort
re:uests for iediate intervention in su''ly food35
18 A'ril 2009 - ,a'e, torture and violence 'revalent in state run *4&
ca's
A huan rights activist, "hoas %eilbert, returning fro a tri' to %ri
!anka, e@'ressed e@tree concern regarding the -elfare of "ail civilians
run in internally dis'laced 'ersons H*4&I ca's run by the governent3
4escribing the -elfare of "ail civilians in governent hands, he said,
;Many are tortured or si'ly shot3 "here are also re'orts of regular ra'es35
%ee full stateent here(
18 A'ril 2009 - 1urther calls by "ail deonstrators for $0 to take action
=ver E000 "ail deonstrators gathered in 0e- Lork/s "ies %:uare and
outside the $nited 0ation to urge the $0 to sto' the slaughter of "ail
civilians by the %ri !ankan governent3
&rotestors travelled fro across the 0orth Aerican continent to attend
one of the largest deonstrations seen in 0e- Lork at the tie, re'orted
"ailnet3
17 A'ril 2009 - %ri !anka intends to e@terinate the "ail 'o'ulation says
"0A
"he "ail 0ational Alliance, in a letter to the *ndian &rie Minister,
Manohan %ingh, said that %ri !anka/s actions 'roved that .the real
intention of the %ri !ankan %tate is the 'rogressive e@terination of the
"ail 'eo'le3/
"he letter highlighted concerns over the %ri !ankan ilitary usage of
cheical -ea'ons, an iinent ass annihilation of "ail civilians, and
the ongoing shelling of the 0o 1ire 2one3
%ee full letter here3
17 A'ril 2009 O Dlobal +entre for ,es'onsibility to &rotect calls on $0
%ecurity +ouncil to fulfil its duty
"he Dlobal +entre for the ,es'onsibility to &rotect, in an o'en letter to the
$0 %ecurity +ouncil, urged the international counity to deand access
to the conflict >one for huanitarian grou's and edia and fulfil
res'onsibility of 'reventing 'eo'les fro genocide, -ar cries and cries
against huanity3
%ee full letter here3
1F A'ril 2009 - F00 shells fall in 0o 1ire 2one, $% calls to halt shelling and
allo- international access
"he $% de'artent of state, in a 'ress release, called on the governent
of %ri !anka to halt shelling of the 0o 1ire 2one, allo- international
onitors to ensure the safe 'assage of "ail civilians and enforce
international huanitarian standards -ithin *4& ca's3
%ee full stateent here3
"he stateent cae as over F00 shells fell in the 0o 1ire 2one -ithin the
s'ace of a day3 %ources in the 0o 1ire 2one registered over 1E00 shell
e@'losions -ith roughly F00 occurring -ithin the 0o 1ire 2one3
"ailnet re'orted that 190 in8ured civilians -ere aditted to the ad-hoc
hos'ital -ithin the 0o 1ire 2one in &uthuathalan3
1E A'ril 2009 - "ail civilians killed carrying -hite flag in 0o 1ire 2one,
dias'ora continues 'rotests
"he %ri !ankan Military, in an intense 9 hour assault on the 0o 1ire 2ine
killed at least 180 "ail civilians3
,e'orts for the ground highlighted that in8ured civilians trans'orted -ith
-hite flags -ere being killed3
"he seriously -ounded civilians are dying as their trans'ort has
been blocked by the %ri !ankan ary firing on edical trans'ort
carrying -hite flags3 "he %ri !ankan ary gunners shot a an -ho
-as trying to trans'ort a -ounded victi -hile holding -hite flag,5
sources on the ground told "ailnet3
"housands of "ail dias'ora across the -orld continued 'rotests and
hunger strike deonstrations deanding iediate huanitarian
assistance for the 'eo'le in the 0o 1ire 2one and an end to the genocide of
"ails3
14 A'ril 2009 O Me@ico says ,2& doctrine a''licable in %ri !anka
,es'onding to :uestions regarding a eeting bet-een the Me@ican
Abassador to the $nited 0ations, +laude Beller, and %ri !ankan 1oreign
%ecretary &alitha 6ohana, the Me@ican abassador told the *nner +ity
&ress that the ,es'onsibility to 'rotect doctrine could be a''lied in %ri
!anka3
)e are very concerned that in the case of %ri !anka there is a
concern of the res'onsibility to 'rotect the 'o'ulation35
Beller further added that %ri !anka/s suary of the vie-'oint he
e@'ressed in his eeting -ith 6ohana -as not accurate3
"his re'ort -as not the first tie the *nner +ity &ress 'icked u' on %ri
!ankan isre'resentation of international officials3
"he %ri !ankan foreign secretary at the tie isre'resented calls by the $%
%ecretary of %tate, Bilary +linton, to allo- international aid agencies into
the 0o 1ire 2one3
14 A'ril 2009 O %tates 'arty to Deneva convention have legal obligation to
intervene
%'eaking to "ailnet, a 'rofessor of *nternational !a- at the $niversity of
*llinois +ollege of !a-, 1rancis <oyle, calling on the $nited %tates to take
action in %ri !anka, said that all states 'arty to the Deneva +onventions
had a legal obligation to intervene and 'rotect "ail civilians in the 0orth-
#ast of %ri !anka3
%ee his stateent here3
14 A'ril 2009 O %ources on the ground -arn of ass tragedy after further
indiscriinate bobing of 0o 1ire 2one
%ources on the ground told "ailnet that 1F bobs -ere indiscriinately
dro''ed by the %ri !ankan air-force into the 0o 1ire 2one in the early hours
of the orning, as the %ri !ankan ilitary advanced -ith gunfire into the
0o 1ire 2one, in &uthukudiyiru''u3
"he source in the 0o 1ire 2one -arned of an inevitable ass tragedy3
19 A'ril 2009 - %ri !anka stri's 0or-ay of 'eace facilitating role due to $%
involveent
%ri !anka stri''ed 0or-ay of its role as a 'eace facilitator, re'orted the
Agence 1rance &resse HA1&I3
"he governent of %ir !anka 'erceives that there is no roo for
0or-ay to act as facilitator,5 a governent official told the ne-s
agency3
%'eaking to Al8a>eera, 0or-ay/s s'ecial envoy to %ri !anka, Jon Banssen-
<auer, res'onding to %ri !anka/s decision, said,
)e cannot be facilitators in a 'eace 'rocess -hich has in effect been
sus'ended since 200F5
4i'loatic sources in +olobo told "ailnet, that %ri !anka has ade the
decision due to -orries over $nited %tates influence in the 0or-egian led
'eace negotiations3
19 A'ril 2009 O =ffensive %ri !ankan ilitary assaults into 0o 1ire 2one
continue des'ite ceasefire clais
"he %ri !ankan Military ste''ed u' the shelling and gunfire during an
offensive into the 0o 1ire 2one, resulting in the deaths of at least 29 "ail
civilians, re'orted "ailnet3
"he offensive cae des'ite announceents fro the %ri !ankan &resident,
Mahinda ,a8a'aksa, that the ilitary forces -ould act defensively over the
2 day ne--year 'eriod3
19 A'ril 2009 O !""# calls for 'eranent ceasefire -ith huanitarian
considerations
"he 'olitical division of the !iberation "igers of "ail #ela H!""#I, in a
stateent, e'hasised that the !""# -ere calling for a 'olitically and
ilitarily eaningful ceasefire -ith huanitarian considerations3
%ee full stateent here3
12 A'ril 2009 - "0A( "ail 'eo'le face genocide
"he "ail 0ational Alliance in a stateent released by its 1oreign ,elations
+oittee, accused the %ri !ankan governent of deliberately targeting
"ail civilians and concluded that .the "ail 'eo'le in the island are clearly
being sub8ected to genocide3/
%ee e@tracts fro the "0A stateent belo-3
"he %ri !ankan %tate by i'osing an ebargo on food, edicine
and des'erately needed huanitarian assistance has 'reci'itated a
huanitarian catastro'he35
"he %ri !ankan %tate/s use of food and edicine as -ea'ons of
-ar is a -ar crie under international la-35
;"he situation faced by the "ail 'eo'le is un'recedented3 )hilst a
considerable section of the "ail 'eo'le are being e@terinated in
the so called ;safe >ones5, or are in iinent danger of being
e@terinated, the reaining sections are being systeatically
silenced by being herded into concentration ca's, terrori>ed by
ass round u's, abductions and forced disa''earances35
"he use by the %ri !ankan %tate of internationally banned
-ea'ons, such as cluster bobs and cheical -ea'ons, has been
a characteristic feature of the current 'hase of the -ar being
-aged against the "ail 'eo'le35
;"he "ail 'eo'le in the island of %ri !anka are clearly being
sub8ected to Denocide35
12 A'ril 2009 - 91 "ail civilians killed aidst %ri !ankan ilitary shelling
and gunfire in 0o 1ire 2one
,e'orts fro "ailnet suggested that at least 91 civilians -ere killed and
9F "ail civilians -ere subitted to the ake shift hos'ital in the 0o 1ire
2one3
12 A'ril 2009 - %-iss "ails 'rotest against genocide of "ails
%-iss "ail 'rotestors took 'art in a deonstration to raise a-areness
about the ongoing genocide of "ails to the international counity3
"he 'rotests occurred on the final day of a hunger strike undertaken by
"ail students in %-it>erland to raise a-areness about the atrocities
occurring in %ri !anka, re'orted"ailnet3
11 A'ril 2009 - Bos'ital records re'ort E99 deaths and 99E0 in8uries in 9
days of attacks on 0o 1ire 2one
"ailnet re'orts fro hos'ital records outlined at least E99 deaths and
999E0 in8uries aongst the "ail civilian 'o'ulation in the 0o 1ire 2one
after 9 days of shelling3
11 A'ril 2009 - 200,000 <ritish "ails arch through !ondon deanding a
ceasefire
=ver 200,000 <ritish "ails arched through !ondon deanding a
ceasefire in %ri !anka, re'orted "ailnet3
"he deonstration, -hich -as instigated by <ritish "ail students, broke
all 'revious records of attendance at "ail 'rotests3

10 A'ril 2009 - ,e'orter %ans 1rontiers deands that 8ournalists be
allo-ed into 0o 1ire 2one, e@'resses concern over %! -ar cries
,e'orters sans 1rontiers H,%1I -arned that the death of t-o 8ournalists in
the 0o 1ire 2one -as yet another -ar crie that the %ri !ankan
governent -ould be held accountable for, and strongly condened the %ri
!ankan governent/s banning of inde'endent 8ournalists fro the 0o 1ire
2one and %ri !ankan ary front lines3
#@tracts fro the stateent re'roduced belo-3
*t is a disgrace that this -ar is being -aged -ithout inde'endent
8ournalists 'resent3 And by 'reventing thousands of innocent
civilians fro oving freely, the "ail "iger rebels bear a large
share of the res'onsibility for these cries3 <y liiting edia
coverage to guided tours -ith the 'ur'ose of confiring ilitary
victories, the ared forces are 'reventing the 'ress fro doing its
8ob and are disregarding the 'ublic/s right to be infored in an
inde'endent anner3?
;,e'orters are unable to travel freely in the northern Aanni district,
es'ecially the coastal area -ere nearly 100,000 civilians and rebel
cobatants have been surrounded by the ary3?
10 A'ril 2009 - %to' shelling 0o 1ire 2one, B,) tells %ri !anka
Buan ,ights )atch in a 'ress release deanded that the %ri !ankan
governent sto' firing heavy artillery into the .0o 1ire 2one, -here they
estiated soe 100000 "ail civilians -ere tra''ed3
"he Asian director at Buan ,ights )atch described %ri !anka/s 0o 1ire
one as .the ost dangerous 'lace in the -orld3/
,eaching out to Buan ,ights )atch, a doctor in the 0o 1ire 2one, said,
?)e have been re'orting every day, every day 'roviding re'orts to
relevant authorities and to the international counity, and still
there are no real ste's taken to save these innocent civilians3?
%ee full Buan ,ights )atch 'ress brief here3
10 A'ril 2009 - $% "ail organisations urge state de'artent to check
re'orts of cheical -ea'ons used in 0o 1ire 2one
#leven "ail organisations in a eeting -ith the $% state de'artent
urged the $% Abassador to %ri !anka, ,obert <lake, to investigate
allegations and evidence of cheical -ea'on attacks against "ail civilians
and called for aid to be delivered to the 0o 1ire 2one3
%ee 'ress release fro the $% state de'artent eeting here3
09 A'ril 2009 - =ver 900 in8ured civilians aditted to &uthuaathalan
ake shift hos'ital
=ver 900 in8ured "ail civilians -ere aditted to the akeshift hos'ital
-ith 47 'eo'le dying after being aditted throughout the day3
%ources on the ground told "ailnet that several civilians that -ere killed
by indiscriinate shelling and gunfire by the %ri !ankan ilitary had been
left -ere they lay3
"he sources further added that an estiate of the total killed and in8ured
for the day -as hard to calculate3
09 A'ril 2009 - *+,+ tea leader killed in Aanni
A tea leader for the *nternational +oittee of the ,ed +ross H*+,+I,
%innathurai 6ugathasan, -as killed by %ri !ankan ilitary shelling -ithin
the 0o 1ire 2one, rescue -orkers told "ailnet3

08 A'ril 2009 - +hild nutrition centre shelled by %ri !ankan ilitary
411 civilians including 100 children -ere affected by the shelling of a child
care centre and ilk 'o-der distribution centre at &okkanai, -ithin the 0o
1ire 2one3
,e'orts given to "ailnet alleged that three artillery shells -ere fired into
the civilian facilities, leaving 129 dead and 100 children in8ured3
An survivor of the shelling in an eye-itness account to Buan ,ights
)atch, said,
;"here had been no distribution of ilk 'o-der for three onths, and so
-hen they announced that there -ould be distribution today, hundreds of
'eo'le lined in :ueue3 *t -as early in the orning3 * heard the first shell,
and hit the ground3 * survived by iracle, but y 4E-year old uncle died on
the s'ot- he lost both legs35
07 A'ril 2009 - %ri !ankan ilitary uses cheical -ea'ons, says !""#
A senior coander of the !""#, -ho -itnessed attacks in the 0o 1ire
2one said that the %ri !ankan Military -as e@tensively using cheical
-ea'ons, re'orted "ailnet3
"he %ri !ankan governent had already received criticis for the 'urchase
of -ea'ons banned under international la-3
%ee related article(
+ontroversial -ea'on eant for genocide alleges M& H17 August 2001I
07 A'ril 2009 - %helling starvation and death in the 0o 1ire 2one
A -ounded "ail civilian s'eaking fro the 0o 1ire 2one described the
hellish conditions that the 'eo'le faced under relentless shelling fro the
%ri !ankan ary3
4escribing a shell attack that killed his son, the -ounded civilian, %ubasan,
said,
;* -as thro-n by the blast and both y ears -ere blocked by the
e@'losion3 )hen * recovered fro y initial shock, * realised that * -as
in8ured3 * tried to save a badly in8ured 14 year old boy lying nearby but the
boy succubed to his in8ury35
;* have t-o children, but the food -e have is inade:uate to feed the faily3
"he food -e have here is enough for only one 'erson, but -e share,? he
further added s'eaking to "ailnet3
F A'ril 2009 - "housands of "ail 'rotestors occu'y 'arliaent s:uare
deanding international action as slaughter of "ail civilians in 0orth-#ast
escalates
F of A'ril arks the Eth anniversary of the 'arliaent s:uare 'rotests3
1ollo-ing 2 -eeks of 'rotest outside <ritish 'arliaent the nuber of
deonstrators escalated to thousands in res'onse to the intensified
shelling of "ail civilians in the 0orth-#ast3 "housands of 'rotestors took to
the streets and staged a sit do-n deonstration in front of the Bouses of
+oons3
1or an eye--itness account of the events see here3
Thousands of protestors take to the streets
Veteran British politician Tony Benn joins
demonstrations
#hotographs$ The *uardian
Fth A'ril 2009 - Medical officials in the 0orth-#ast re'ort systeatic
shelling of over 2E0,000 civilians in 0o 1ire 2one
"he regional officer of the Mullaitheevu ,egional 4irector of Bealth %ervices
H,4B%I,outlined an obvious 'attern of shelling -ithin the 0o 1ire 2one3
"he officer re'orted that conservative estiates 'laced at least 2E0,000
'eo'le -ithin the 0o 1ire 2one3
E A'ril 2009 - %ri !ankan Airforce intensifies attack on civilian 0o 1ire 2one
=ver 200 civilians -ere either killed or -ounded due to %ri !ankan Air-
force bobardentof the 0o 1ire 2one on this day3
Areas of Maaththalan, &okkanai, Aalaignarada, *raddai-vaaykkal and
other areas of safety >one -ere shelled
19th 1ebruary 2009 - "ail civilians face intense shelling as they flee to 70o
1ire 2ones7
=ver 1E0 civilians -ere feared killed by %ri !ankan Ary shelling roads that
-ere being used by civilians to flee fro conflict areas and reach ne-ly
defined .no fire >ones3/
%everal casualties and fatalities -ere re'orted along roads side fro
"eavi'ura to &uthukkudiyiru''u, -ith the fleeing civilians forced to leave
their dead on the side of the roads or bury the under intense shelling3
A further 90 civilians -ere re'orted killed by siilar circustances t-o
days 'rior3
11 1ebruary 2009 - Bos'itals bobed, relentless assault on "ail civilians
and calls for international 'rotection
1ebruary 11th sa- the Jaffna Dovernent Agent HDAI ade an
urgent a''eal to international non-governental organisations to 'rovide
food and 'rotection to over 2400 internally dis'laced 'eo'le H*4&I that
-ere in held across three %ri !ankan Military run ca's3
"he !""# 4ivisional &olitical Bead in Aanni, + *la'arithy, -hilst rebuffing
%ri !ankan ilitary clais that the !""# -ere res'onsible for the
slaughtering of civilian, urged the international counity to 'rotect "ail
civilians3
"he *nternational +oittee of the ,ed +ross H*+,+I, in a stateent
released the 'revious day, e@'ressed .shock/ at the lack of 'rotection and
absence of international aid reaching the "ail 'o'ulation in Aanni3
%'eaking at an *+,+ 'ress release, the head of the delegation in %ri !anka,
&aul +astellasaid,
)e are shocked that 'atients are not afforded the 'rotection they are
entitled to35
*n a stateent !""# official *la'arithy said,
"he .safety >one/ unilaterally announced by the +olobo
governent has been turned to a killing field by the %ri !anka
ilitary3 "he %ri !ankan ilitary achinery, -hich has relentlessly
killed and aied thousands of civilians during the 'ast four
-eeks, is no- engaged in a 'ro'aganda drive to divert ounting
'ressure on the +olobo governent by the international
counity35
+olobo is coitting the -orst cries of huanity, by killing
and aiing hundreds of civilians every day -ith the .safety >one/
and by indiscriinately bobing edical institutions35
"he international counity ust ensure the 'resence of
international 'rotection and the onitoring authorities to assure
the safety of the civilians, including the -ounded 'atients and their
guardians -ho acco'any the35
"he *+,+ 'ress stateent also read,
Most of the 'o'ulation is no- dis'laced and co'letely de'ended
on outside aid, yet none has reached the area since 29 January35
*n a stateent ade at the start of the onth the *+,+ e@'ressed disay
at the %ri !ankan Airforce/s re'eated bobing of hos'ital and edical
facilities in Aanni, stating,
)e/re shocked that the hos'ital -as hit, and this for the second
tie in recent -eeks3 )ounded and sick 'eo'le, edical 'ersonnel
and edical facilities are all 'rotected by international
huanitarian la-3 $nder no circustance ay they be directly
attacked3 "he staff are under acute stress surrounded as they are
by the sound of ongoing fighting and the influ@ of ne- 'atients3
Abulances are constantly arriving, but 'eo'le are also being
brought in by -agon, 'ick u' trucks, tractor and even otor
scooter35