Killed: Murugesu Markandu (62), Murugesu Shanmugarathinam (56), Rathinam Sarawathy (59), Shanmugaratnam Sasi (20), Shannmugaratnam Krishanth (18)
Statement by the Norwegian Facilitator, Geneva 29 October 2006
“The consultations took place in Geneva on 28-29 October 2006 following requests by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to meet to discuss humanitarian issues and political questions. At the Co-chair meeting in Brussels on 12 September, the Tokyo co-chairs (EU, Japan, USA and Norway) encouraged the parties to meet for consultations...
Both parties reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire agreement and promised not to launch any military offensives. The international community has repeatedly expressed that it expects the parties to show restraint and fulfil these commitments...." |
 The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) that promised to halt the military offensives at the negotiation table, in front of the International Community in Geneva, has sent a "message of terror" within 24 hours of LTTE delegation's arrival in Kilinochchi by conducting a "gruesome" aerial attack killing an innocent family and terrorising the patients at the General Hospital premises, said Political Head of the Liberation Tigers, S. P. Thamilchelvan, following the Sri Lankan aerial attack in the heart of Kilinochchi town Thursday. Hospitals which serve the most humanitarian need and deserve utmost protection from any acts of violence, have now become targets to GoSL's campaign of terror, he added. "The International Community should have no reservation in condemning this gruesome act," Mr. Thamilchelvan said.
The International Community was witness to the GoSL delegation's expressed commitment to ceasing violence and halting all offensives in order to create and sustain a conducive enviornment for the peace process, he said. "This is certainly not the way forward in creating and sustaining the kind of atmosphere for talks," Thamilchelvan said. Sri Lankan Government has once again proved it was engaged in "state terrorism," he further charged. LTTE Political Head further accused the Government of Sri Lanka for not having cooperated with the ICRC in declaring the hospital surrounding as a safety zone, according to Geneva Conventions.
5 killed, SLAF attacks hospital surrounding in Kilinochchi, 500 patients flee hospital
Five members of a family were killed when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets dropped 16 bombs within 500 meters east of the newly built Kilinochchi General Hospital at Anandapuram around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, 2 November 2006. One was seriously wounded. Around 500 patients warded in the hospital, among others mothers with newly born babies in their hands and severely wounded patients from earlier SLAF bombings, were forced to leave the hospital premises. Explosion shock shattered hospital window-glasses and fans fell down while the patients were having lunch in their beds, doctors told TamilNet. Tension prevailed in Kilinochchi town following the aerial attack.
The bombs hit a house, within 500 meters east of the hospital at Anandapuram in Kilinochchi along the A9 landroute. The victims were identified as Murugesu Markandu, 62, his brother Murugesu Shanmugarathinam, 56, and sister Rathinam Sarawathy, 59. Two sons of Mr. Shanmugaratnam, S. Sasi, 20, and S. Krishanth, 18, both studying GCE A/L, were also killed and their house was fully destroyed. Only survivors of the family were the mother, a teacher, and her daughter, both of whom were at school during the attack. Doctors evacuating the patients from hospital also complained that Colombo had been delaying in extending ICRC protection to the hospital. There was no LTTE military installation near the hospital, the doctors added. Students at Central College and Technical College located near the hospital were caught in shock. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials visited the vacated Hospital following the attack. One of the 16 bombs did not explode. [Text added from TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006] School attendance in Kilinochchi dropped Friday and hundreds of patients stayed away from Kilinochchi hospital which was evacuated Thursday following the SLAF attack on a civilian family. A heart patient died at the hospital due to the blast shock and most of the patients who were forced to leave the hospital Thursday, were yet to return to hospital, the doctors said. Relatives of patients were seen at the hospital to receive medicines. Normally the hospital treats around 700 outpatients a day. Only 119 were registered at the hospital's clinics Friday.
One student broke his legs and another was wounded when students Friday ran in panic after observing Kfir jets. The student was treated at the orthopaedic department at the hospital, medical sources said. Two of the five members killed Thursday in Kilinochchi air-strike, were Advanced Level (A/L) students from Kilinochchi Central College. The victims were buried Friday at Uruthirapuram, in Kilinochchi district.Hundreds of people, including political leaders, religious dignitaries, principals, teachers and students attended the funeral. LTTE's Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan addressed the mourners at the funeral house. 
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