A SINHALA POINT OF VIEW ON FLEEING TAMIL IDPS!!!!

The casualties of Sri Lanka's brutal civil war...INDEPENDANT.CO.UK

Civilians are the casualties in Sri Lanka's brutal civil war. In a rare report from inside former rebel-held areas, SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda meets fleeing refugees and ex-fighters

From Paranthan, the road to Vallipuram is rich and green. Great expanses of paddy stretch out before you, clumps of palmyrah dot the land and little streams of water trickle by. As we near the fighting, paddy fields give way to broken buildings and blasted vehicles. Twisted trees and uprooted trunks line the way. Here, in an area formerly controlled by the Tamil Tigers but now in the hands of the Sri Lankan army as they besiege the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a last assault to end a 25-year-old civil war, everything is covered with a layer of brown dust. An occasional boat lies stranded on either side of the road, reminders of a last desperate attempt by the Tamil Tigers to hold back the tide. Blasting a reservoir in the path of the advancing Sri Lankan army, Tiger cadres counterattacked in boats, riding upon a wall of water. The water however, has receded and the Tigers have retreated.


As you enter the Kanishta High School, Vallipuram, the first thing you see is a brightly coloured board. Written at the top in vivid blue letters, is an inscription in Tamil.

"Our students (Our Lifeblood ), Those who Sacrificed their Lives

Related articles
Deal may allow Tiger leader exile escape
For the Freedom of this Land"

Listed across the board are the names of the students of Kanishta High School who have died in the fighting. We are told where each student was from, what his LTTE code name was, when he died, where and in what operation.

The school is now occupied by the 58th Division of the Sri Lankan army. It is the first stop for those fleeing the conflict and they are brought here straight from the line.

A huge compound lies before us, lined on three sides by ramshackle buildings. In the middle is a vast empty space, a small open tent at its centre. Nearby stands an ambulance, a Land Rover without wheels and two red buses. There is a roar of engines. The buses start up and trundle away.

At 8.45am they roll back in again. Out stumble a ragged line of people, mostly women, children and old people. Tense and fearful, they look drawn and dehydrated. Nearly everybody is clutching bags and sacks loaded with goods. Their clothes are filthy, stained and spattered. Nearly all the children have sores and rashes. Strangely enough, barely a handful out of 128 who arrive are young people.

Women soldiers lead the civilians towards a long thatched arc. They distribute biscuits, fruit drinks, bags of dates and sachets of glucose.

Snatching at the biscuits, the hungry people tear at the wrapping, spooning the glucose into their mouths with their hands. A man in a yellow T-shirt begins an address in Tamil. There is hardly a murmur, even the children are quiet. Craning their necks to listen, they pause only to dip into their bags of food and guzzle water, slowly nodding their heads.

Once the address is over, we begin to hear their stories. Maria Kumari, a young woman of 29, had come all the way from Mannar, the north-western tip of the island and ended up at Pudumathalan. She has her three-year-old son Dinesh Kumar and baby girl Thireeshika with her. At first her eyes are closed and she just leans back against the chair. Gradually she begins to speak. As she talks, a smile lights up her fine features. For three days she had had no food, only gruel.

"I was starving, my children were starving. Every day people are falling sick and people are dying. No food, no medicines, no water."

She fled at night with her husband, wading across the Pudumathalan lagoon, the water chest high. Hearing their noises, the Tigers had fired. So they stayed in the water till dawn. She stops talking to pour glucose down her throat. "All I want now is to go home, to lead a normal life without fear."

By her side, an aged woman, gazes adoringly at a picture that she has been clutching from the moment she got off the bus. It is a framed picture of the Baby Jesus. "It has saved me," she says. Her name is Maria Poomani.

"They [the Tigers] wouldn't let us come," she said. "They shot at us." As she remembers she keeps touching the Baby Jesus with her fingers. "The rest turned back but we threw ourselves on to the sand and crawled on our bellies."

An old man sat staring into space, a shawl over his head. Another, heavier and burlier, nods in agreement.

In adjoining partitions the army screening process has begun. A man behind a desk asks questions. Each individual and every family is registered and photographed. When the screening is over, everybody moves into the tent in the middle.

Soldiers drag in cauldrons of dhal, rice and soya and there is a rush towards the food. The children are first in line, holding out their plastic plates to the women soldiers. Food eaten, they board the bus again for the next stage of their odyssey.

They will travel down the A-9 road to Omanthai, two-and-a-half hours away. Omanthai is the last checkpoint controlled by the army, from here the people are handed over to the Sri Lankan government.

"They always come at first light," Private Saman Kumari, one of three women soldiers, says of the fleeing civilians.

"We give them water and search them and check their bags. They are frightened and so are we.

"There was one woman, she was about 30. We hadn't searched her body. She told us that she had lost her gold jewellery. She started crying and everyone gathered around to help. I left the other women soldiers with her and went to eat. Then we heard the sound. All we could see was smoke. People were screaming and there were pieces of flesh everywhere. She had strapped the bomb to her stomach."

From Vallipuram the buses speed through the rolling savannah of Sri Lanka's Vanni region. Once the heartland of Tamil Eelam, now it is an empty landscape dotted with army posts. At 3.30 in the afternoon we arrive at Omanthai, the last checkpoint in the army-controlled zone. Here all the bags are searched again and their contents itemised. They are questioned, their identities checked and they are registered and issued with cards.

Everyone is seated on the ground. As the shadows begin to lengthen, a young man in a T-shirt and a baseball cap begins to speak. His tone is reassuring.

"We know that the Voice of Tigers Radio has told you that your men will be killed and your women raped. No one will be taken away. None of you will be sent to prison. Our war is with your leaders, not you. You have been taken by force and kept by force. If you have any connections with the LTTE come forward and tell us now.

"Nothing will happen to you. But tell us now before somebody else does. When you go to the camps, there will be people who know you. Tell us now, so that we can trust you. If you don't we will suspect you."

When he finishes speaking, almost everybody gets up and moves to another spot. A small knot seats themselves in another group: five men and two girls. They sit on their own with strained, intense expressions. All are young and in good physical shape, better dressed than the others.

One by one, they are questioned under the trees. As they answer they begin to relax; the tautness gradually leaving their faces. We are not allowed to ask the names or take pictures of the people in this group. One girl is wearing brightly gilded earrings, a long brown dress and her hair is tied up. She is 24 years old, a member of the Sodhiya regiment, one of the crack female fighting brigades. Why did she join, we ask her? "I joined because I left school early and stayed at home. My mother was angry with me and used to beat me. I joined to make her angry."

She had left her husband behind. As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes. "He was seized by the LTTE. I am very worried for him." Her leaders told her that she must kill all Sinhalese, she said.

A thin, wiry young man with buffed hair and shaved sideburns sat nearby. He told us that he was a member of the computer wing and had signed up straight after leaving school "for the salary". The group are photographed against a tree. Eventually they pick up their bags and walk towards their families.

In the sheds on the other side queues are forming. Every item is checked and rechecked. By 5.45 as the sun begins to set, the last bus starts up. It will be the fourth and final stage of the journey, down the A-9 to Vavuniya. The final destination is the refugee camps run by the government.

As the engines rumble, an old woman is doing her best to clamber on to the running board. Hauling herself up, she turns to berate a brawny soldier struggling with her numerous bags. Everybody grins and looks away.

SinhaRaja Tammita Delgoda is a Sri Lankan writer and historian who travelled with government forces to the conflict zone
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View all comments that have been posted about this article.

Wednesday, 15 April 2009 at 11:51 pm (UTC)
this article is a joke...
it is written by a sinhalese person and is in NO WAY INDEPENDENT...
it is the 99% sinhalese army and sinhala government that are committing genocide against the Tamils
i can't believe a reputable newspaper like the independent published this biased, one sided, concocted story...
i will never buy or read this newspaper again
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Re: joke
schweigen2009 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 05:23 am (UTC)
The truth hurts, especially to you with your extremist viewpoints.
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Re: joke - stewart1986 - Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 10:47 am (UTC) Expand
Re: joke - schweigen2009 - Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 10:50 am (UTC) Expand
Truth by Tamil Civilians
du_kumari wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 12:06 am (UTC)
This article clearly shows how the Tamil Terrorists brainwash their own people and use them as human sheilds and make them to be killers. We sinhalese sympathise with those innocent civilians who are trapped in the hands of terrorists. Sri Lankan Army help tamil civilians, take care of them with food, medicine and lead them to protective shelters. Infact we can see in YouTube that Tamil civilians who escaped from tiger terrorists were enjoying the new found freedom by celebrating the new year festival with Sri Lankan Forces. Good for them.
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Re: Truth by Tamil Civilians
a123456z wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 03:45 pm (UTC)
HI DON,T LIE IN THE WORLD ,SO YOU WANTS GIVE RIGHT ANSWER ONE DAYS IN WORLD BECOUSE YOU ARE TOP KILER IN THE WORLD AT THE MOMENT GENOCIDE OF SRILANKAN GOVERNMENT,BUT PLS I CAN SAY ONLY FOR SINKALES PEOPLE DON,T PLAYING WITH TAMIL COMMNUITY LIFE ITS LIFE , AND THE LTTE ARE FIGHT FOR ONLY INDEPENDENT HOMELAND FOR TAMIL COMMNUITY, AND I AM TAMIL IF ANY ONE ASK ME COULD YOU STAYING WITH SRILANKA I SAID NOT NO , I THING ALL TAMILS ARE WE WANTS FREEDOM FROM GENOCIDE OF SRILANKA , AND WE CAN,T LIVE WITH SINKALEES PEOPLE BECOURS YOU SEE ALL SINKALES ARE SUPORTED TO KILLING TAMIL COMMNUITY THEN HOW CAN WE LIVE WITH SING??????? SECOND ONE WE A NATION OF PEOPLE WE HAD BUT NOT NOW THATS THE WAY SRILANKAN GOVERNMENT ARE KILLING TAMIL PEOPLE THEY DOING GENOCIDE TANKS
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no ltte diaspora should be allowed in sl soil
tonytheman007 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 12:08 am (UTC)
Get rid of ltte and the supporters from the face of the earth
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Re: no ltte diaspora should be allowed in sl soil
jeyadasan wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 01:05 am (UTC)
ltte and tamils are same,very soon we get our land soon and rid all srilankan army and govenment terrorist soon
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Re: no ltte diaspora should be allowed in sl soil - davealwis - Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 02:13 am (UTC) Expand
Re: no ltte diaspora should be allowed in sl soil - schweigen2009 - Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 05:25 am (UTC) Expand
Re: no ltte diaspora should be allowed in sl soil - jeyaseelan - Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 08:38 am (UTC) Expand
SinhaRaja Tammita Delgoda
sugan007 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 12:38 am (UTC)
*SinhaRaja Tammita Delgoda is a Sri Lankan writer and historian who travelled with government forces to the conflict zone*
This has to be published at the begining of this article as this tells more than what he has written.
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Re: SinhaRaja Tammita Delgoda
schweigen2009 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 05:26 am (UTC)
It was, in the front page of independent.co.uk! But then you just see what you want to see.
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Tamilnadu OUR home
tamilnaduours wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 12:40 am (UTC)
im a tamil ...im couzin and my oncle was kiiled by The Ltte ..

i live In France ...they blamed the SL army.. but later ..they admited the crime ..
I was like my parent a Big fan Of LTTE ... i was tought they was OUR freedom fighter ...
but when i go to SL in 2001 , i see with my own eyes ..what The LTTE are .. AND for what they are standing, ..they want Exterminate sinhaless, and capture their island ...
kill , and make maximum money ...
as a tamil i ask to all my tamilian brothers and sisters to NOT suporting THE LTTE , they are TERRORIST are WE have to Go back to TAMILNADU .... our HOEMALDN IS TAMILNADU nOT sri lanka ..
we cant ask for a second contry IN SRI LANKA ..its illegal,

british importated us ..from south idia as workers(on tea plantation) and OUR former "Kings" INVADED THIS ISLAND ... occupyed By indigenous HELA (sinhela) pples ...

No Need to mention THAT the "Tiger" emblem of THE LTTE ...is the same as THE FORMER CRIMINAL TAMILMS INVADORS FROM SOUTH INDIA (our home) ..

peace...join tamilnadu ...SLA are very strong

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tamilnadu OUR homeland ....
tamilnaduours wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 12:41 am (UTC)
im a tamil ...im couzin and my oncle was kiiled by The Ltte ..

i live In France ...they blamed the SL army.. but later ..they admited the crime ..
I was like my parent a Big fan Of LTTE ... i was tought they was OUR freedom fighter ...
but when i go to SL in 2001 , i see with my own eyes ..what The LTTE are .. AND for what they are standing, ..they want Exterminate sinhaless, and capture their island ...
kill , and make maximum money ...
as a tamil i ask to all my tamilian brothers and sisters to NOT suporting THE LTTE , they are TERRORIST are WE have to Go back to TAMILNADU .... our HOEMALDN IS TAMILNADU nOT sri lanka ..
we cant ask for a second contry IN SRI LANKA ..its illegal,

british importated us ..from south idia as workers(on tea plantation) and OUR former "Kings" INVADED THIS ISLAND ... occupyed By indigenous HELA (sinhela) pples ...

No Need to mention THAT the "Tiger" emblem of THE LTTE ...is the same as THE FORMER CRIMINAL TAMILMS INVADORS FROM SOUTH INDIA (our home) ..

peace...join tamilnadu ...SLA are very strong
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Re: tamilnadu OUR homeland ....
b_m_10 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 10:16 am (UTC)
'tamilnaduours' you are obviously not Tamil. Why hide behind the mask of being a Tamil and write this rubbish??
If you are sinhalese, or any other ethnicity, why not say so? why must you insist you are Tamil, and then go onto say that TAMILNADU is our homeland?? that is not true.

TAMILEELAM is our homeland and the LTTE are the Tamils voice. They will continue to strive for our own state until we get one.

I cannot believe that the Independent would print such a bias article. It is hard enough for the Tamils to get our voice heard, and now this established newspaper has just ruined everything that we have worked for with the protests all around the world.

If nothing bad was happenin in the camps, why not let the BBC in?? why ban ALL INTERNATIONAL MEDIA?? Surely this must mean that your 'reporter' is only going to publish what the GoSL want published and not the TRUTH.
And on reading the article I cannot believe how much rubbish it contains. Why would the LTTE shoot people leaving the area?? THE VERY PEOPLE THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR??

You are told not to believe LTTE-pro properganda material yet this is a classic case of SLA propaganda.

I admired the Independent so much when they ran the story on the student on hunger strike at parliament square, it felt like we were finally getting our voices heard. But you have just gone and stabbed Tamils in the back by publishing this unfair, bias article.

SHAME ON YOU INDEPENDENT.
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Embedded Sinha Raja can't be a free Lasantha
velu_balendran wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 12:58 am (UTC)
He is probably forced to travel in Vanni in one of those govt "white vans" that will never return if his output is not worth printing!
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is the storey is true?
jeyadasan wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 01:22 am (UTC)
I do not believe this kind of storey .these tamil people can not speak them selves and sri lkankan army tell them what they wil tell to media or reporters.If LTTE ABUSE ITS OWN PEOPLE why all tamils around the world support them?why the poeple hunger srtike and go demonstration ?who force them?
sri lankan govenment is honest and realy helping tamils in that region why they not allow any reporters /intenational organisation? inculuding your reporters
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Re: is the storey is true?
schweigen2009 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 05:30 am (UTC)
Al Jazeera's David Hawkins reported along the same lines on the 21st of February 2009. Here is the report:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot0p5h-K49s
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Re: is the storey is true? - a123456z - Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 03:54 pm (UTC) Expand
Very good
wickeng wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 01:35 am (UTC)
Very good article, At least we get a chance to hear what is actually hapening in SL despite all the wrong publicity given by LTTE. It is time to listen to tamil people who want peace, they want to get rid of LTTE and live a good life, International community has a responsibility to create that environment, not to listen to LTTE supporters.

This articles opens our minds to think what we should do next,

Wick
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Nadaraja: The casualties of Sri Lanka's brutal civil war.
nadaraja wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 01:41 am (UTC)
This is one of the best articles I have read on the subject of innocent civilians and Innocent LTTE cardres escaping LTTE. This is an eye witness on the way how these pople are treated by the Government soldiers. SLA has now improved and educated to treat the tamils as part of teh same community where all sinhalese and tamils have right to live peacefully. All these people want is to live in peace, have basic needs satisfied, give good education for their chilsdern and move freely in the country. LTTE has violated all their rights. Those rights must be given back to them. Let those peple tp have teh same rights which majority of the tamils living in the south of the country and overseas. Tanil diaspora who is staging mass sacle protests in overseas must read this article to realise if a genocide is going on by teh SLA against the tamils in Vanni. All the tamil diaspora in overseas are having a lavish life ( they go home after teh protest and have their normal life) at teh expense of these innocenet civilians. Tamil diaspora must apologise from thse people who have suffred and harrassed by the LTTE to give a good life for thos etamil diaspora living overseas.
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On the 'The casualties of Sri Lanka's brutal civil war'
khalid_haija wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 02:52 am (UTC)
I am so admired of the beautiful literary style which the article was written in, truly I thank the writer, I severely miss such a style in our Arab press. Khalid Muhammad Abul Haija - Irbid - Jordan
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Biggest hostage situation in the world
schweigen2009 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 05:01 am (UTC)
Sri Lanka is dealing with the biggest hostage situation in the world. The supposed saviours of the Tamil people are hiding behind women and children. All the terrorist mouthpieces can do is carry on the Tiger's lies.
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Impartial reporting
mn09 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 05:19 am (UTC)
Is a Sri-Lankan writer who has been employed by the Sri-Lankan government really an impartial reporter? Or is this a form of very clever propganda? Hitler did it very well and managed to fool a lot of people....
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Al Jazeera's report of 21st February 2009
schweigen2009 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 05:33 am (UTC)
Al Jazeera's David Hawkins reported along similar lines on the 21st of February 2009. Unfortunately, it has taken the Independent until mid April to get to the same point.

Here is the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot0p5h-K49s
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Re: Al Jazeera's report of 21st February 2009
mn09 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 05:48 am (UTC)
Open your eyes- this is utube video is also a prime example of Sri-lankan government propganda. WHen Jon holmes from the UN was allowed to visit the "detention' camps he was allowed a government official to 'translate' for him. also do you think the tamil people in these camps who will obviously be very scared as to what might happen to them if they say the wong thing if infront of government officials? I'll bet if Hitler had allowed a reporter into one of his concentration camps it would have been 'spruced' up and portrayed in a similar manner to this u-tube video...
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Independent Jounalism???
mn09 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 05:37 am (UTC)
I am really disappointed with the independent newspaper. I started buying this newspaper on a daily basis about 2 years ago but will never buy this paper again because this article is so biased I am really surprised the Independent even printed it.
The article starts with ' in a rare report...'- why does one suppose this is a rare report? is it because the sri-lankan government has banned any form of indpendent journalism inside the conflict zone- with the exception of course of this 'rare' report from this 'specially' chosen journalist- this journalist must be very talented indeed if he was the only one that was 'allowed' to report from an area where hundreds of other international, truly 'impartial' have been refused entry....
Shame on the independent newspaper for supporting and printing such an obvious piece of sri-Lankan government propoganda...I really thought the editor might have had a bit more political savvy than this. Or is recognising propoganda and biased reportage no longer on the curriculum at journalist school anymore?.... I remember doing it at secondary and i'm a scientist not a journalist....
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An article which mirrors the thruth.
pedant009 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 06:00 am (UTC)
A very realistic article, which tells the truth. I am happy to see that the international community has now begun to understand the barbaric acts of the LTTE. I don't know why Tamils don't realize the fact that the LTTE has killed more Tamils than Sinhalese. They stared their killing spree from A. Doreappah in late 70s and have been continuing their killing spree with the precious lives ranging from Thiruchchelvam to Kadiragarmar.

Many highly educated and intelligent Tamil leaderas have already been eliminated by the LTTE . their leadership( a former schools dropout who does not even posses a college certificate) does not allow any tamil person to be educated. The tamil leaders who are educated are being eliminated, while the Tamil youth who have great prospects are ruined, by forcing them to be child soldiers.

The LTTE should take the responsibility for massacring thousands of innocent Tamil civilians. They disseminate false propaganda upon genocide committed by SLA. It is LTTE who keep civilians as a human shield. It has now been confirmed that they shoot at even innocent toddlers who try to escape. If Sinhalese torture and rape Tamils, why, over 60000 civilians have now fled to the government controlled areas? In Colombo nearly 30% of population comprises of Tamils who are free and are being treated equally. If Sinhalese torture them, Why don't they flee with the fear of Sinhalese? Tamils and Sinhalese are homogeneous in many aspects. It is the LTTE which is the most ruthless terrorist organization which needs to be eliminated, for the betterment of Tamils.
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Journey for concentration camps
muralee wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 07:36 am (UTC)
I accept this is happening (I mean the checking) for our people when they get into army control area before they taken to concenration camp. However they all been told before bring front of reporters 'if you say anything against army to the reporters you will not go to the camps'. On this article where this writer saw 'a young man in a T-shirt and a baseball cap begins to speak. His tone is reassuring. We know that the Voice of Tigers Radio has told you that your men will be killed and your women raped. No one will be taken away'. This is true on the day time then army enter the camp over night & taken away girls for their enjoyment which raping and torturing etc, this has been authorised by Ministry of difence secretary Gothapaya. Mr.Gothapaya promised to all members of armed forces whatever you can do for tamils especially who come from so-called 'no fire zone' (killing, raping, etc) you will not be charged for your activities, nobody allowed to do any legal proceeding against you(he also said has power next to his brother President Rajapaksa). Our young tamil men & women are disappearing in the camp. This writer should have been said that he didn't know after they taken into camp. If this writer go to any of the concentration camp he can't see any of these young tamils who saw them on the check points. Even if he have a chance to meet any of the old people who he saw them on the check point into the camp where they can't say anything against the govt or army. They all been told not to say anything whatever happining inside the camp if you say you will be disapear. One of the UN official said after recent visit the camp people are frighted to tell their stories because they are surrounded by army and their allies. This writer and other writers including jounalist should aware about the Sri Lankan forces. They are fully of sihalese. How can tamil trust them? Tamils in Sri Lanka can't do any demonstration. we can't use our fundamental rights (including democratic rights). This writer aslo should know if LTTE is doing anything against the tamil how can this much people support to them (recent London demonstration)?

I can see some of the comments for this article wrong discription which has been written by some of Sri Lankan Govenment supported who are getting money and full livelihood support from GOSL.
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Report by a Sinhalese Journalist
jeyaseelan wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 08:11 am (UTC)
What is interesting in this article is that not a single sole said anything against Sri Lankan Army. It is totally one sided. This article paints a picture that the Sri Lankan Forces are well mannered and looking after the fleeing tamils with care and affection, contrary to so many reliable reports of abuse, rape and murder. This is too good to be true.

If these stories are true, why not let Andrew Buncombe to go there and give him the freedom to talk to any one he likes. Then the world can believe these stories.

I wish The Independent print reports from Independent Journalists
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What would you expect from people at the mercy of Sinhalese Army
kulakadu wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 08:53 am (UTC)
It is no surprise or nothing new, people say what the SL Army want's to hear. I'll do the same if I'm in their shoes. This is written by a Sinhalese journalist reflects their thinking. The SL Army are no angels, for the past 20 years they have systematically killed innocent people, they're a brutal Army. The LTTE had to be brutal to fight them successfully, this is the fact!

If the SL Govt genuinely wants to put a stop to the war they should put forward an acceptable solution to the ethnic problem unlike the one put forward in the East!
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If you love Tamils let them go
raju00 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 09:06 am (UTC)
Why you are talking about the difficulties faced by the Tamil people. Nowhere you mention about these people are held against their will by LTTE. If LTTE love these people they should allow them to leave to safety and freedom immediately and lay down their arms. Why cannot they join the democratic process and obtain a proper mandate to be representatives of Tamil People. All they have got was by force, and brutally killing the opposition.
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Why there are 2 worlds?
peaceman123 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 09:10 am (UTC)
Why Norway led western countries try to save the murderer,Prabakaran? Why not they save Osama Bin Laden? Why there are 2 different ways of treating terrorist organisations? Will USA ever be talking peace with Al-Queda? Wake up the world...If you let the mastermind of ruthless murdere escape from SLA, you will be aiding to spread the terrorism further so that our children will suffer. Who invented suicide bombing that have been adapted later by Al-Queda and other terrorist organisations?
How much effort was put into free on hostage from Somali pirates? Imagine the effort required to free innocent tamil people from LTTE terrorists...
It is time for all of us to awaken and face the reality. Help War Against Terrorism..
peacelover
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Join the Democratic Institution
raju00 wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 09:42 am (UTC)
LTTE should give up the arms and join the democratic process at once. Let the civilians go to their safety and freedom, and let LTTE face the Sri Lankan Forces with courage and breavery. Still it is not too late to give up the armed struggle and join the process of democracy for these misguided youth.
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Casualties of Sri Lanka civil war
rajasingham wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 09:45 am (UTC)
Thanks for the Independent news paper for publishing this article.Now we know who Tamil Tigers are.They just wanted power and money in non democratic way by killing innocent civilians and using terror.I thank the Sri Lankan government and especially soldiers who give their life to save these innocent Sri Lankans and make peace in Sri Lanka.Tiger tactics all failed as many countries in Europe know who they are except Noraway who has a private agenda behind their help to Tigers.In UK people like Keth Vaz(A very corrupted politician) talk about Tigers as he is after Tamil votes.Thanks SL government for courage and working for peace to liberate Tamil bretheren.
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the picture we see and the people we speak tells the true story.
britishtamil wrote:

Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 10:06 am (UTC)
At least this sinhala writer mentioned " there is no food ,medicine,water and people are dying" srilankan government have not send any food. just to fool the world they send a tiny amount to 350,000 people. when they hear that a mercy mission ship was to come there with food they send a little again.
i salute this writer for at least writing the core issue food and medicine are baned by srilankan government and it is a war crime. just for reporting that srilankan army may abduct and kill this auther, many sinhala journalist have fled the country.

what else this auther didnt say was these people were staved to death and in search for food some people are end up in the hands of srilankan government. because these civilians who had lived in their houses were driven out of their homes and most of them were farmers and they would have never dreamed of searching for food. these people lived in large lands and lots of vegitables grown in their lands now srilankan army shelled and bombed their homes and now they are all living in open space with no food. some people go lonng way to search for food and end up in armys hand, once they are captured srilankan army ask them to undress and let them walk for a mile without cloths and then then young men and womens are takenaway and nobody no the fate of this people.
people are so worried about coming out of their land because if they comeout they lost the land forever. srilankan government simply decalre the land as high security zone(HSZ) and this poeple have to live homeless forever. srilankan army captured jaffna in 1990s even today one third if not half of the land are declared HSZ and no go area, all these people are living in relatives houses and displaced forever, this is what srilankan governemt have been doing for these times that is why people dont want to loose their land and its their land and they are staying their no matter what.
now with the help of china ,Rusia and USA srilankan government drop all the bombs on peoples heads and killing them everyday around 300 people are get killed and another 300 injured and now srilanka government adopt a strategy to capture the land by killing the tamils or taking their limbs and ICRC is playing a role in vacating these injured so far 10,000 people injured and cleared from their homes to pave way for sinhala government to occupy the tamils land. its all happening in the name of libarating tamils. and the world is wathing as it have no interest other than selling wepons and make money.
Independent.co.uk