HR 140: Email to the Committee from Esan Satkunarajah

 

Appeal you to prevent another RWANDA in SRI LANKA

 

I am very much aware that our government consistently taking measures to end this worst humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sri Lanka peacefully without further loss of innocent lives and limbs.

 

Since my last e-mail to you, the loss of lives and limbs of Tamil civilians including children have increased and I feel so helpless that I am unable to help my brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children who are suffering immensely just because they were born as Tamils in Sri Lanka, I feel so powerless because I am unable to expose the worse state terror unleashed against my people in Vanni and other parts of Sri Lanka. I am so saddened of the fact that Sri Lanka openly and arrogantly ignores the international community's including our government's repeated calls for the immediate cease fire in Sri Lanka and continuing to make the world to silently watch these gruesome and horrendous crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka. 

 

What Tamils in the Vanni, northern Sri Lanka have done to deserve these subhuman sufferings in the hands of majority Sinhalese armed forces and supposedly democratic Sri Lankan government which is boasting around the world capitals as they do care for the Tamil children in Sri Lanka? Every day at least 40 to 50 civilians are paying with their dear lives and another 40 to 50 civilians paying with the limbs of Sri Lanka's genocidal war against Tamils. As you are also quite aware, since January 20th, over 2800 civilians were killed over 7000 injured according to UNHRC. The UNICEF also said, hundreds of children were killed thousands more wounded within past two months alone.

 

Thousands of Tamil civilians who crossed into the government controlled area due to indiscriminate shelling by the government forces on the 'Safe Zone' were put into many concentration camps and they are living in subhuman conditions without even basic facilities. Horror stories are coming out from these camps are so frightening, as young female inmates of these concentration camps are being used as sex slaves for the Sri Lankan forces, pregnant women were forced to undergo illegal abortions by the Sri Lankan forces and young males are being separated from their families and taken to torture camps and after the tortures in most cases many of these males are being massacred.

 

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/03/31/the_silence_surrounding_sri_lanka/

 

I earnestly urge you to continuously use your good office to prevent another Rwanda in Sri Lanka, push both warring parties in Sri Lanka to agree for an immediate and permanent UN sponsored cease fire, unhindered access to the hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the war zone area and a peaceful, durable and meaningful solution based on Tamils' right to self-determination via negotiation.

 

Please see these links:

http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/57630/2009/03/2-103102-1.htm

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26514085.htm

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/03/31/the_silence_surrounding_sri_lanka/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/23/srilanka-tigers-humanitarian-crisis

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/04/sri-lanka-urgently-evacuate-civilians

http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/05/asia/lanka.php

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7922096.stm

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/ASAZ-7PUERJ?OpenDocument

 

 

3 April 2009