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INDICTMENT AGAINST SRI LANKASri Lanka's Genocidal War - '95 to '01
Sri Lanka armed forces contravened Geneva Convention says NGO
"International Educational Development is gravely concerned at the genocidal onslaught launched by the Sri Lanka armed forces on the Tamil civilian population in the North of the island of Sri Lanka.
Â…Bombing by high flying supersonic jets continue to cause considerable civilian casualtiesÂ… Sustained shelling from the Palaly army camp has compelled tens of thousands of Tamils to leave their homes. Several houses have been flattened. At the sametime the Sri Lanka Government has imposed an economic blockade on the transport of goods to the Tamil homeland including essential food items and medical supplies
The actions of the Sri Lanka armed forces are a clear contravention of the Geneva Convention relating to non international armed conflicts, which provide that hospitals shall not be object of attack; that the civilian population shall enjoy general protection against the dangers arising from military operations; that the civilian population shall not be the object of attack; that acts or threats of violence the primary purpose of which is to spread terror among the civilian population are prohibited; that starvation of civilians as a method of combat is prohibited; that it is prohibited to attack, or destroy objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as food stuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works; and that it is prohibited to commit any acts of hostility against places of worship.
We are particularly concerned that the attack launched by the Sri Lanka armed forces follows upon a recent statement made by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to an Indian journal that it may be necessary to launch an all out attack in the Jaffna peninsula and that this 'would mean a lot of civilian casualties' and the 'place would be wiped out'. We condemn the actions of the Sri Lanka government as a gross violation of humanitarian law, intended to terrorise the Tamil people into submission. We call upon President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Sri Lanka government to stop committing these crimes against humanity." (Press Release by Humanitarian Law Project, International Educational Development, 12 July 1995) ...continued...
