April 22, 2006
We strongly condemn the bomb blast and the carnage that followed in
Trincomalee directed against Tamils by Sinhalese mobs on April 12,
2006. The bomb and the subsequent carnage seems to have been well
orchestrated by the Armed Forces with the Sinhala mob from the unauthorized
village of 'Korea Watte.' Korea Watte was formerly used by Thamil
Fishermen from time immemorial for drying their fishing nets and to anchor
their boats, and was known as "Periya Padu." At least two lorry-loads of
thugs were there right at the time of the bomb blast to chop and hack
innocent Thamils, including children.
Three hours of looting, demolition and arson of Thamil and Muslim-owned shops, along with two houses belonging to Thamils, took place.
The Sinhala Police and Army (perhaps even including the Navy, as the difference cannot be identified even by the Harbour Police Acting OIC, as was revealed at the recent Inquest of the five innocent Thamil youths individually executed by the members of the Sri Lankan Special Task Force) stood guard, gave protection and safe passage from the scene of the massacre and arson.
It is said, notably, that, although the direct alarm to the Police headquarters was activated at the Hatton National Bank when their Bank was being attacked, the Police did not respond for more than two hours.
This systematic destruction of property and mob killings was a repetition of the 1977, 1983, 1987 and 1990 massacres and arson of the property of innocent Thamils of Trincomalee. The July, 1983 pogrom, in particular, was reenacted. Destruction of this scale is to be expected in a country where the right to life is not even included in its constitution. The systematic destruction of the life and property of the Tamil ethnic and linguistic community, with the explicit aim of destroying that community, with the knowledge and assistance of the government and its armed forces over the course of thirty years can be considered genocide.
All facts point out that the events of April 12, 2006 was a well planned massacre by the Sinhala mob, aided and abetted by the Armed Forces. It is strongly suspected that off-duty Army personnel from Fort Frederick in civilian clothing have also been used in this attack, as they have been identified as such by some reliable sources, and they were seen coming from the Fort Fredrick side firing with their weapons.
IGP Chandra Fernando has stated that search operations are currently going on for arms. Searches should actually start from the so-called Korea Watte and should extend to the villages of Srimapura and Abeypura, where Sinhala thugs are seen freely moving about with arms, to Nelson Pura, where former Sinhala Home Guards are said to be still having their Arms, and to the Madathady Sinhala encroachers on Veerakaththi Pillaiyar Temple lands.
While the Sinhalese in Trincomalee are allowed to possess arms and are seen freely moving with the Armed Forces, Thamils are locked up in jail on false charges of possessing offensive weapons without bail after these searches.
This then is the state of the Thamils in this so-called democracy, which is only rated 'partly free' by the US-based INGO Freedom House.
The Government and its Ministers are covering up the atrocities committed by the State Forces and the Sinhala mobs. Mr. Bogollogame, questioned about the arson in Trincomalee, replied that, since there was some smoke, there should have been some arson and that he has ordered the police to investigate same. This is the height of absurdity as more than thirty shops, two houses and many vehicles belonging to Thamils and Muslims haved been set on fire after being looted.
While all this was happening, the Human Rights Officers of the Trincomalee Branch of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission were conspicuous by their absence. Their Sinhala driver is said to have fled to Anuradhapura, and, even when illegal round-ups and search operations were being conducted by the Army and Police in the suburban Tamil areas to harass and intimidate the Thamils, HRC officials were not there to compile a list of those persons being arrested and to remind the Police to issue receipts to the next of kin or friends about those who are being arrested, stating the reason for the arrest.
Although the Minister has talked about giving low interest rate loans to the businessmen whose shops were looted and set on fire, there was no undertaking to compensate them and there was no talk of bringing to book the perpetrators of these ghastly crimes, namely the Sinhala mob and the Armed Forces and the Police for dereliction of duty.
NESOHR Group
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