Action Alert ArchiveMassacre of villagers causes international outrageMay 23, 2006 The surge of violent attacks against civilians continues unabated in the Northeast of Sri Lanka, with the death toll rising above 175 in the 3 months since talks were held on improving the implementation of the ceasefire. We would like to bring to your attention the accumulating effects on civilians and prospects for peace that this grisly trend has been having. A week ago, 13 Tamils all belonging to a single family in the Allaipiddy village were shot and massacred, including a 4-year-old child and a 4-month-old infant. Amnesty International said in a statement that it has received credible reports that Sri Lanka Navy personnel and armed cadres affiliated with the Eelam People's Democratic Party... were present at the scene of the killings. If proven true, this situation is unacceptable during a period in which efforts towards peace are the need of the hour. Instead, the remaining residents of Allaipiddy live in fear, and all of them, numbering roughly 200, have fled to other areas for refuge. The wanton violence has been prompting refugees to flee Sri Lanka for India in droves. According to a UNHCR briefing on May 19, more than 1,000 refugees have landed in India from Sri Lanka since January, contrasting with the 1,173 refugees who flew home back to Sri Lanka in 2005 with UNHCR assistance. Five refugees, who were also attempting to reach India, died when their boat capsized and they drowned. The civilian killings continue to take a toll on the peace process and psyche of survivors. Reuters reported that Tamils have begun to take up arms training in direct response to their fears. One person was reported as saying, So many things happened in and around Jaffna during the last four or five days. That means war has come... This is to protect us all, including our children, from war. 17 May 2006 The Nonviolent Peace Force, an INGO that witnessed the recent riot and air force aerial bombings in Trincomalee and gave voice to the hapless victims, was one among the NGOs that were themselves victimized in a bombing of their facilities on 21 May 2006. The UN quickly condemned the attack and has called for the attacks to be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice. To say that some government soldiers are involved in extra-judicial killings is an understatement of the vicious cycle of retribution that is evolving right now. We request you to stop the cycle of violence and fear that threatens to spark renewed war. Please pressure the Sri Lankan government to take all necessary measures to prevent any further civilian killings and restore an environment of peace. |
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Jun 20, 2008 - Aftenposten
Peace brokers from around the world will once again gather for the annual Oslo Forum next week, to swap experience in conflict mediation. Participants include Mohammad Khatami, former president of Iran; Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff for ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Gareth Evans, president of the International Crisis Group. Read this article
As Sri Lanka's civil war escalates, so do attacks on its journalists
Jun 19, 2008 - AP
With civil war raging in Sri Lanka, the journalists trying to cover the conflict find themselves increasingly under siege. They have been hounded by the government, attacked by unknown assailants and accused of aiding the rebels. Many reporters have been arrested or fled the country, while others have resorted to self-censorship, journalists said.Read this article
Review of Sri Lanka under the Universal Periodic Review
Jun 14, 2008 - Amnesty International
Themes raised by member states participating in the review of Sri Lanka under the UPR dialogue included concerns related to the lack of protection of civilians caught in the internal conflict; enforced disappearances, unlawful/extrajudicial killings; torture and other forms of ill treatment, threats to freedom of expression, the need to strengthen national human rights institutions, attacks on dissent and ongoing impunity for human rights violations.
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Press freedom in Sri Lanka continues to deteriorate
Jun 13, 2008 - CPJ
The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by government’s policies toward journalists who write critically about the conflict between Sri Lanka’s military forces and Tamil secessionists. We have seen an increase in harassment, intimidation, and detention of reporters, many of whom are columnists in senior positions with well-established careers.
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S.Lanka says peace brokers can't visit rebel area
Jun 12, 2008 - Reuters
Sri Lanka has refused requests by Norwegian peace mediators to visit rebel territory, and said fresh peace talks hinged on Tamil Tiger guarantees to lay down arms and stick to a negotiation timetable. Nordic ceasefire monitors quit the country this year after the six-year Norway brokered truce disintegrated.
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