Sunday, March 11, 2012

Sri Lanka: A child is summarily executed



By Callum Macrae | The Independent
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It is a chilling piece of footage that represents yet another blow for the beleaguered Sri Lankan government in its attempts to head off a critical resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva this week.

The short clip dates from the final hours of the bloody 26-year civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the secessionist rebels of the Tamil Tigers, the LTTE.

A 12-year-old boy lies on the ground. He is stripped to the waist and has five neat bullet holes in his chest. His name is Balachandran Prabakaran and he is the son of the LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. He has been executed in cold blood. Beside him lie the bodies of five men, believed to be his bodyguards. There are strips of cloth on the ground indicating that they were tied and blindfolded before they were shot – further evidence suggesting that the Sri Lankan government forces had a systematic policy of executing many surrendering or captured LTTE fighters and leading figures, even if they were children.


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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Who killed Cock Robin?



By Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne | Lakbima News
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On 9 June 2011, it was reported in Lankan papers that US Pacific Commander Admiral Robert F. Willard has assured Lankan Navy Chief Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake of continued US support in the post-war era. This was when Vice Admiral Dissanayake called on Admiral Willard in Singapore. Admiral Willard served as commander of the US Pacific Fleet from May 8, 2007 to Sept. 25, 2009 before taking on his current position. It was further reported that the government of Sri Lanka has always appreciated the support given by the US during its successful war against the LTTE.

On that occasion Admiral Willard had inquired about post-war development, with regard to the SLN, particularly SLNS Samudura, formerly USCGS ‘Courageous’ , one of the vessels involved in the destruction of LTTE ships .


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Sunday, March 11, 2012

New Channel 4 film screened at Human Rights Film Festival 2012



By Karthiyayini | Truthdive
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Sponsored by Human Rights Watch, Channel-4 television of United Kingdom has screened the shocking video footage of Lankan war crimes at Geneva Human Rights Film Festival 2012.

The team including Luis Arber, former Human Rights High Commissioner of the UNHRC, and chair of the International Crisis Group and Callum McCrae, the producer of the film spoke to a packed audience at the Cinémas du Grütli, on problems related to war crimes and liability in Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war in 2009.


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