Statistics of
Tsunami disaster and twenty years of war
in the island of Sri Lanka
(TCHR is an independent Human Rights organisation – not affiliated to any Tamil Federation or Association)
An Appeal to The United Nations Commission on Human Rights
Un appel à Nations Unies Commission des droits de l'homme
14 / 03 / 2005 -- 22 / 04 /2005
LOGO
Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR
Centre Tamoul pour les droits de l'Homme - CTDH
Centro Tamil para los Derechos Humanos
(Established in 1990)
Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR
Centre Tamoul pour les droits de l'Homme - CTDH
Centro Tamil para los Derechos Humanos
(Established in 1990)
Website : www.tchr.net
TCHR participation in United Nations World conferences and meetings
* The Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR), officially participated in the NGO forum of the UN World Conference Against Racism – WCAR in Durban, South Africa, from 28 August to 1 September 2001. TCHR held an information stall including an exhibition at the forum. The TCHR representatives also attended the main WCAR conference held in Durban, 31 August to 7 September 2001. (http://www.tchr.net/reports_wcar_detail.htm)
* In 1993, the TCHR held an information stall and a photo exhibition on human rights violations, in the United Nations 2nd World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna, Austria, from 14-25 June.
* TCHR has participated in meetings of Treaty bodies and has submitted reports to the same.
Fact finding missions to the North East of the Island of Sri Lanka
* May 2003 (http://www.tchr.net/report_studymission_2003.htm)
* December 2003 – addendum report (http://www.tchr.net/report_studymission_2003add.htm)
* July-August 2004 (http://www.tchr.net/reports_visite_2004.htm)
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Contents
Appeal 04
A comparison between the affected North East and South & West 06
Sri Lanka Army is strengthened with Tsunami aid 07
US $ 150 million arms deal with Iran
2862 children orphaned in the North East
Victims and damage caused in the North East (Table) 08
Damage to the fishing industry in the North East (Table)
Neither the Parliament nor the cabinet has been consulted 09
Aid hijacked by political extremists
Blow to compensation – BBC 10
Hinduism and Islam were evils!
More than 30 years of emergency rule in Sri Lanka 11
26 years of Prevention of Terrorism Act
Arrest, Killings, Disappearances, Rapes, etc 1956-2004 (Table) 12
30 arrested without warrant and held incommunicado - AI
Amnesty International on Sri Lanka’s torture
Thousands of people detained without charge 13
5,489 prisoners were in IPKF custody
Detainees systematically tortured
Torture remained a serious problem
Arrest / Torture 1983-2004 (Table) 14
Arrest and detention of suspects 15
Mass arrests & torture of Tamils in Colombo
Over 18,000 arrested under ER and PTA in 2000
Genocide 1958 16
Several killed after emergency declared in Jaffna
Continued attacks on Civilians
Chunnakam massacre and extra judicial killings
Killings 1983-2004 (Table) 17
Injured 1983-2004 (Table) 18
Some killings - Indian Peace Keeping force (IPKF)
150,000 residents had fled 19
IPKF collected all the dead bodies and burnt
20,000 refugees share three or four toilets
IPKF deliberately killing dozens of unarmed civilians
Massacre of 63 civilians in Valvettiturai 20
Over 1,000 civilians killed in three years bombing
Bodies of 21 Tamils found in Colombo
55,000 died in Sri Lanka’s civil war 21
They killed over 20,000 Tamil youth – President Kumaratunga
13,379 civilians died due to Economic embargo
60,000 – 100,000 deaths in two decades
Massacres and killings of Tamils (List)
Amparai district 22
Batticaloa district
Trincomalee district 23
Districts of Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Jaffna 24
01
680 Tamils disappeared
Over 30 bodies were dumped
43 people are known to have disappeared
Disappearances 1983-2004 (Table) 25
More than 300 disappeared in six months 26
Fate of 656 disappeared in Jaffna remain unknown
648 disappearances reported
122 killed, 73 disappeared in two months 27
13,000 disappearances, 8500 widows, 6000 orphans in the East
Investigations on 700 disappearances should be made public
Disappearances in Vavuniya
Rape
Women reluctant to give testimony 28
Women raped by soldiers
Gang rape by eight soldiers
150 Tamils raped by Sinhala law enforcers
Rape 1983-2004 (Table) 29
Horrific statistics on rape 30
8500 widows in the East
25,000 widows in Jaffna district
Over 25,000 Tamil refugees 31
500,000 Tamils became refugees in their own homeland
5000 Indian Tamils fled to refugee camps
Secretary General Boutro Ghali appealed for assistance
110 Tamils die in refugee camps
Displacement 1983-2004 (Table) 32
300,000 displaced in Vanni 33
60,000 refugees in five camps around Madhu church
More than 61,904 displaced children unable to attend school
Campaign in schools to encourage children to join the Army
Campaign against disappearance of children 34
UN CESCR express concern about 800,000 displaced
4000 school children demonstrated in Batticaloa
Internal displacement is not a new concept to Tamils
400,000 displaced in Vanni
Over 20,000 displaced in March 1999 35
15,000 seek refuge in schools and temples
22,450 refugees without adequate facilities
160,000 forced out of homes
Around 1.5 million people displaced 36
Refugees in India
Registered IDPs in 2002
1371 children affected by malnutrition 37
270,000 displaced children
Children and women affected by armed conflict
Arrest, Killings, Disappearances, Rapes, etc 1956-2004 (Table) 38
(Outside North East and before 1983 in the North East)
Disability (as of May 2003) 39
02
Destruction of Jaffna Public Library 1981
More than 50,000 homes destroyed by IPKF
80% of the houses damaged in Jaffna
More than 1560 Hindu temples destroyed 40
75 Hindu temples closed
Churches and Temples 70 schools destroyed – 15000 children unable to attend school
75 schools defunct
Shortage of 4650 Tamil Teachers 41
Schools in the North East
Poor state of education in the North East
Estimated number of landmines (April 2003)
Villages where land mines are suspected 42
Facts and figures of 20 years of war
TCHR summary (names, dates, place of incidents, etc) (From July 2004) Arbitrary arrest / Detention 43
Extra judicial killings / summary executions 44
Enforced or involuntary disappearances 48
Rape / torture and others
03
1211 Geneva 10,
Switzerland.
Distinguished Sirs / Mesdames,
We, in TCHR, bring our concerns as usual to this august Human Rights forum, regarding the situation in Sri Lanka, our main focus at present. We also include certain relevant aspects of the massive human tragedy caused in Asia by the giant tsunami waves on 26 December last year. Sri Lanka is one of the countries most severely affected by the natural disaster.
The Memorandum of Understanding and Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was signed more than three years ago, with the facilitation of the Royal Norwegian Government, introducing new hopes for a durable settlement to the longstanding bloody conflict on the island.
The spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding holds that by alleviating the suffering of the Tamil people, conditions of normalcy could be created in which peace talks could begin.
It is sad to note that although the ceasefire has created normalcy in the seven Southern provinces, normalcy does not exist for the people in the North East. Blatant discrimination against the Tamil people has been the same, prior to the tsunami and after it.
The consistency with which the Sri Lankan military and the government have violated the CFA is shocking.
Violating CFA article 2.2, the Sri Lankan army continue to occupy temples and churches in the North East. In violation of 2.3 school buildings are still occupied by the Sri Lanka army. All such occupation should have been withdrawn in July 2002. In cases where the army has vacated premises, “High Security Zones” were immediately built nearby, thereby occupying again civilian homes and buildings in the traditional Tamil homeland.
Members of the civil society in the North East are asking, “ ‘Security’ – for whom? Certainly not the security of local Tamil people”. They refuse to talk of “High Security Zones”, but rather “Militarised Zones.” The situation of IDPs remains critical. They are prevented from resettling in their own homes due to the militarised zones which have taken over their land.
In breach of CFA article 2.1 and 2.5 people are harassed at checkpoints. Over the last year the incidence of harassment, rape and sexual assault of Tamil civilians by Sri Lankan armed forces has increased. There are more Sri Lankan soldiers now in the Jaffna Peninsula than there were before the CFA. While oppression continues and basic daily reality is filled with fear and dread – where is the hope for a just peace?
Fishermen are still severely restricted in pursuing their livelihood, they are persistently harassed and intimidated by Sri Lanka Navy and armed forces.
In serious violation of article 1.8 of the CFA, the government has not disarmed paramilitaries nor ensured they leave the North East. On the contrary, these paramilitaries working with the Sri Lanka armed forces have been responsible for many recent assassinations in the East, of human rights activists and political activists, causing terror and destabilisation.
Post-tsunami, eyes were focussed on the situation in Sri Lanka, waiting to see if the tragedy would bring together the parties to the conflict, in joint relief and rehabilitation work. The shocking unfolding horror of the thousands of dead bodies which had to be buried in mass graves, then the thousands of survivors, in their grief and distress in desperate need of food and shelter, seen in media world-wide, touched people everywhere. Despite hollow assurances to the international community that they were treating all victims equally, the Sri Lanka government and military prevented aid flowing swiftly to the North East.
04
UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, who visited Sri Lanka soon after the tsunami struck, requested to visit the most affected areas, which are in the North East. He was prevented from doing so by the government of Sri Lanka. It is a pure violation of the UN Charter, Chapter XV, Article 100.
Foreign dignitaries visited only the South and West, with the exception to Prince Charles of the UK and Ministers from Norway, Singapore and Sweden. Fishermen who spoke to Prince Charles in the East confirmed that more than two months after the tsunami struck they had still received no aid from the government.
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation - TRO and the LTTE organised the relief and rescue operation, in the North East. Their timely response, their highly organised and efficient approach and their co-ordination with all, including government agents, were praised by non-governmental and inter-governmental organisations, media and everyone who witnessed their work. They helped victims belonging to all communities, discriminating against no-one.
It is disturbing that the Sri Lankan government seems to be concentrating more on the purchasing of new arms than working out joint mechanisms with the LTTE for delivering aid and rehabilitation support to the victims in the North East.
Our attached report contains tables showing statistics relating to the victims of the tsunami disaster, as well as statistics on the human rights violations perpetrated prior to the war and during the 20 years of armed conflict.
Why are the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka treated so differently even at a time of natural disaster?
There is an urgent need for the International Community to take bold steps in urging the government to respect the human rights of all in the island and to take up the Peace process, and to resist the temptation to fan the flames of racism and discrimination which were the cause of the island’s ethnic conflict in the first place.
Honourable Sir,
You, being the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights, have the responsibility of ensuring that Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka are treated with equality in all aspects by the government of Sri Lanka.
Please request the international community to ensure that the relief aid sent by them to Sri Lanka to the victims of Tsunami is equally distributed to the people who are from worst affected North East as well.
We appeal to you to take immediate action during this session of the commission on human rights.
Thank you,
Yours sincerely
S. V. Kirubaharan
General Secretary
05
Tsunami giant waves disaster
11
February 2005 - “You are reintroducing Emergency
Regulations (ER) to wage on the Tamil people so that you can cling on to power.
The emergency is not for the south. It is for oppressing the Tamil people in
the northeast with an iron fist as you did in the past. You need war to stay in
power. It is the only way for you to deal with the political and economic
crisis in which you are engulfed today. You killed Kousalyan to provoke the
Tigers to war. You expect the Tigers to rise to the bait”, said Mr.
Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance MP for Vanni, addressing
President Kumaratunga’s government during the debate on Emergency in
Parliament.
"Your designs to secure 4.5 billion dollars in aid by hoodwinking the world with phoney peace talks failed miserably. But the Tsunami disaster was a windfall for your crisis ridden government. It is filling your coffers with money to run the state and stay in power. Clearly, you want to strengthen the army with Tsunami aid. The first thing you did after the Tsunami was to send a committee to buy arms abroad. Then you buy a warship for the Navy. You do not care for the plight of the people. Singhalese protested against not receiving Tsunami aid on your independence day. It shows that you are neglecting even Singhalese who were afflicted by the disaster", Mr. Adaikalanathan said.
He pointed out that the Sri Lankan authorities were fabricating accusations against the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) to prevent it from delivering humanitarian aid to the people in the northeast.
"The Emergency is also aimed at barring the TRO from working for our Tsunami afflicted people", he said.
"You take our patience for military weakness. You are, as always, making a big mistake. We are ready for war just as we are ready to work peacefully for a political settlement in a united country. I warn you, if war is what you want, the Tamil people will fight on until we achieve Thamil Eelam", the MP asserted, winding up his address.
Cabinet Spokesman of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's
Freedom Alliance government Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that
"the LTTE has been behaving extremely well and in a matured manner in the
phase of the recent killings", expressing his hopes that the recent
killings would not disrupt the government's discussions with the LTTE.
US $ 150 million arms deal with Iran
16
January 2005 - Sri Lanka is to buy over USD 150 million of arms
from Iran, the Sunday Times reported. A high-powered Sri Lankan military
delegation led by Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda left for Tehran
that week to conclude the deal which was outlined when President Chandrika
Bandaranaike Kumaratunga went to Iran in November last year, the paper said.
"Sri Lanka will procure military hardware and oil on concessionary terms. The deal is said to be worth over US $ 150 million," the Sunday Times said.
"The delegation is to take a look at the wide variety of military hardware available. The Army has identified its requirements after a delegation visited Iran earlier. The Navy and the Air Force will check on requirements. Thereafter the services procurements are to be incorporated in an agreement," the paper said.
Tsunami - 2862 children orphaned in North East
01 February
2005 - About 2862 children have been orphaned in the northeast province
due to December 26 tsunami, states Ms N.R.Ranjini, Director, Provincial
Department of Social Services and Child Care, in a report sent to the Chairman
of the National Child Protection Authority.
07
The number of children who lost both parents in the Tsunami disaster is 737.
District wise breakdown is:
Ampara 162 Batticaloa 406 Trincomalee 35
Mullaithivu 94 Kilinochchi 01 Jaffna 39
The number of children who lost either mother or father is 2125:
Amparai 954 Batticaloa 699 Trincomalee 32
Mullaithivu 393 Jaffna 47
Neither the Parliament nor the Cabinet has been consulted
to rebuild the nation in the aftermath of the tsunami
- Minister of Small and Rural Industries
22 January 2005 - Major coalition partner of her Freedom Alliance government, radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), mounting an all-out attack against President Chandrika Kumaratunga's leadership said that the call by the government leadership for national unity was an "empty ballyhoo".
Describing the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government's leadership as the "emperor without clothes', a senior member of the JVP, who is also the Minister of Small and Rural Industries, K.D. Lal Kantha has urged the people not to expect the present government leadership to rebuild the nation and also "not to expect the 'big people' to tell them this home truth".
According to Colombo-based media reports, Minister Lal Kantha, has made these remarks while speaking at a discussion held at the Tower Hall Theatre with members of the Chambers of Commerce, small and micro industrialists, bankers and university lecturers to seek suggestion on how to rebuild the tsunami-hit nation.
"It might be possible to rebuild a town or two enlisting contractors with fanfare. But certainly it will not help in rebuilding the nation. There should be a well-designed national action plan to rebuild the nation, to usher in national revival, to rise from the ashes of the tsunami disaster. But does the government have such an action plan," the JVP Minister has asked.
Pointing out that the government leadership has miserably failed to maintain with any degree of credibility the unity achieved with much difficulties to form this government, Minister Lal Kantha, has asked how one could expect such a leadership to bring together more political parties or reach a wider national consensus.