By Colombo Telegraph-
“Sri Lankan army commanders were ordered by the country’s leaders to assassinate surrendering Tamils in the final phase of the long and brutal civil war, according to a senior former military officer.” The Telegraph reports today.
The claims are contained in a sworn deposition, seen by The Daily Telegraph, made by a career officer who rose to the rank of major general before he fled the country in fear of his life to seek asylum in the United States.
He is the highest ranking person to assert that atrocities against Tamil rebels and civilians were sanctioned at the highest echelons of the government. The source had the highest security clearance and close contact with some of the army’s most powerful figures.
His testimony contradicted a government-appointed commission, which concluded that Sri Lanka’s military did not intentionally target civilians.
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report, which was released last week, said some isolated allegations of civilian abuses by security forces needed to be investigated further, suggesting that any violations could only have resulted from soldiers who were not following orders.
That assertion flew in the face of an extensive United Nations report that accused the government of deliberately shelling civilian areas and possibly killing tens of thousands of people in the final months.
In his deposition, the major general says that he was informed that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the defence secretary and brother of President Mahindra Rajapaksa, passed on “some instructions to a field commander to get rid of those LTTE [Tamil Tiger] cadres [who] are surrendering without adhering to normal procedures”.
Such an order, he said, “should come from either the secretary of the defence, with the knowledge of the president involved. He also has to be kept informed. The commanders could not undertake such decisions.”
It has been estimated that 20,000 people or more died in the closing months of the civil war in 2009.
The source, whose name has been withheld for his own safety, confirmed that assassinating Tamil Tigers who had been captured or surrendered became “standard operating procedure” as the Sri Lankanmilitary forces closed in on the last rebel resistance on a strip of land on the island’s northeastern coast. Tamil activists are hoping that the evidence provided by the officer will build pressure for a war crimes prosecution against the president or defence secretary.
He said that to his knowledge shortly after becoming defence secretary in 2005 Mr Rajapaksa sanctioned the creation of a "hit squad" known for operating out of a white van to remove suspected LTTE members or collaborators off the streets of the capital Colombo.
The US Department of Justice has a live file on the issue but has yet to prosecute, despite a leaked cable written by the US ambassador to Colombo which said that “responsibility for many alleged crimes rests with the country’s senior civilian and military leadership”, including both Rajapaksas and Gen Sarath Fonseka, then the armed forces commander.
American human rights lawyers are seeking to prosecute the defence secretary under the US Torture Victim Protection Act, which allows prosecutions against foreign leaders and officials who commit torture or extra-judicial killings.
Bruce Fein, a human rights lawyer, said that the alleged actions of Sri Lanka’s rulers and commanders appeared to be genocide.
“It’s hard to come to conclusion that the aim wasn’t to destroy the Tamil people in whole or substantial part,” he said, citing the definition of genocide under international law.
A video obtained by Channel 4 purported to show the assassination of what were thought to be Tamil rebels. The Sri Lankan army labelled the video as a fabrication. Other witnesses described various incidents of indiscriminate killing.
The UN also blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for allegedly using civilians as human shields – a claim also made by the Sri Lankan government – and for using child soldiers.
Throughout its 26-year battle for autonomy, the ethnic minority rebels pioneered suicide bombing as a terror method, killed thousands of civilians among the Sinhalese majority and committed numerous atrocities that led to it being designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and Britain.
The testimony from the senior officer was first obtained by The International, an investigative website based in the US. It backed up various other allegations of illegal conduct by the authorities.
He said that to his knowledge shortly after becoming defence secretary in 2005 Mr Rajapaksa sanctioned the creation of a “hit squad” known for operating out of a white van to remove suspected LTTE members or collaborators off the streets of the capital Colombo.
Yolanda Foster, the Sri Lanka researcher for Amnesty International, said: “We doubt Sri Lanka’s will and ability to bring the perpetrators to justice, given the scale of the allegations and the potential that serving members of the Sri Lankan government may be implicated.”
A spokesman for the Sri Lankan high commission in London said: “We categorically deny these malicious allegations.”
Murgan / December 19, 2011
So civilians weren’t being killed or shelled to death. Just LTTE leaders who came to surrender? That is basically the story. So who cares? Of course i do understand the tone of the article and the usual dramatisation conveying a sense of sadness over the defeat of the LTTE. The West is mighty upset over the loss of a vital military asset and strategic geo-political tool that for two decades they funded, supported and provided as much assistance as possible for.
This war crimes nonsense is also a way of “putting in their place” a bunch of dirty little brown people who had the audacity to defy the Wests “authority” and dictats. Bruised ego and “punishment” for such naughty behaviour as a must comes to mind (or as Milliband said “tying them to the cannons”–reference to the “consequences” meted out after the 1857 Indian “mutiny”).
And of course the West desperately wants a new tool to interfere, threaten and dominate Sri Lanka with following the loss of the LTTE which was a powerful asset in not just making sure Colombo played ball, but upsetting the region as well.
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Murgan / December 19, 2011
Another “dossier” with another “testimony” with the ever present anonymous witness–how so reliable. Name the “Major general” or it didn’t happen. Now lets hope this isn’t going fizzle out like what happened to the ICJ-Australia “war crimes” dossier on Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe. Comically the ICJ disowned pretty much all the claims associated to it (that were duly reported by sensationalist revenge seeking Western nations) within 24 hours.
What happened to that sensationalist headline grabbing piece (timed for the Commonwealth) that turned out to be utter nonsense ditched by the original claimants? Why did it disappear as fast as it came about? Hopefully it had nothing to do with the ICJ admitting they had nothing and their “dossier” was just garbage designed to grab headlines (with a complicit media “in the loop”) to make the necessary noise to “get at” Sri Lanka which is the game plan of the West these days.
The anger and desire for vengeance over the loss of the LTTE is patently evident in the language and attitudes of the West and its “free media”. Almost feel sorry, you lot are juts as bitter and frustrated as the Tamils that a one time potent killing machine and regional asset is gone no matter the depths (ordering them to make a human shield and all) you went to save them.
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Murgan / December 19, 2011
[[“a career officer who rose to the rank of major general before he fled the country in fear of his life to seek asylum in the United States.”]]
He fled to the US before of after “deciding” to be a “source”? Sounds like this guy (if he exists) was bought over and that is assuming his credentials are real. Heck you can find anyone who would say anything for a sack full of dollars or a life in the West (like all the Tamils who sell bogus sob stories and live off perpetuating war in Sri Lanka to get access to a better quality of life as “refugees”).
[[“He is the highest ranking person to assert that atrocities against Tamil rebels and civilians were sanctioned at the highest echelons of the government. The source had the highest security clearance and close contact with some of the army’s most powerful figures.”]]
What is amusing is that if this is the case, then everyone in Sri Lanka will know who he is. So why need to keep his identity anonymous? (Unless of course the man in question is Sarath Fonseka, still no need to keep it anonymous).
All this garbage “evidence” against Sri Lanka courtesy of nameless people in the shadows (carrying grudges and agendas) means it can be anyone giving “testimonies”, or more appropriately it is all just fabricated.
[[“Bruce Fein, a human rights lawyer, said that the alleged actions of Sri Lanka’s rulers and commanders appeared to be genocide. “]]
Oh goodness me. The “genocide” card? That is just pathetic reporting. Shouldn’t ALL the Tamils in Sri Lanka be slaughtered or under the threat of that?
FYI: If you’re facing “genocide” or “persecution” you go to the safest and closest location and that is the Tamil homeland of Tamil Nadu in India which is just one boat ride away. Sri Lanka is the only country where the victims of this “genocide” hang around the capital of the country which is doing this making long lines outside Western embassies for months, sometimes years, begging for “safety”. Then fly out from the country’s airport to a Western country of their choice to enjoy a better quality of life all done by lying, jumping the queue and then settling in for the Western social benefit gravy train. The end of the war brought some difficulty for this “option” and their frustration and irritation is understandable.).
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Punchinilame / December 24, 2011
Mr.”Murgan” cannot write under his name, even here. So it can be expected that the news emanating from
an ex-Army Officer has to be so.
This revealing Photograph was taken by an “embedded” army cameraman, who is a living witness to the
incident. He is held in a “golden cage” by the MOD (similar to KP) to serve the Regimes Agenda in the
future.
The LLRC heard the experts views “in camera” and therefore did not expand on the matter except to say
that the footage is fabricated. The views of the current Special Rapporteur (Prof. Christof Heyns) SA University, of the UN for Extra Judicial Killings has not been heard, as his visit to Sri Lanka has been objected by the
SL Govt. This itself indicates a critical situation for the Regime.
The No-go zone still exists – till natural indicators of mass burial sites are obliterated. Forensic evidence
gathering is being postponed by various Govt. tactics. The Sinhala Academics know too well the background
but prefer to keep silent in the name of “patriotism”.
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Murgan / December 19, 2011
[[“The UN also blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for allegedly using civilians as human shields – a claim also made by the Sri Lankan government – and for using child soldiers.” ]]
This is where the UN, the West in general and its NGOs plus Western media lack of credibility and racist bias coupled to malicious intent comes out. It was not an “allegation” or a “claim” it was a FACT (with concrete evidence to prove it, unlike the use of anonymous witnesses lurking in the shadows and unauthenticated, heavily edited, re-packaged videos).
If you cannot figure that out or try to water it down then it only enforces the notion that this “war crimes” peddling by the West is an act of vengeance and punishment being meted out to Sri Lanka for destroying the LTTE when “ordered” not to (and said “order” being refused).
If they were serious about this nonsense they try to sermon on the world as mighty superior beings then they would have pushed “accountability” and “reconciliation” back in 2002. Back then Western Governments and their propaganda outlets (“free media”) were barking loudly “how the war was over” and “true peace was attained” upon the signing of the then Cease Fire Agreement. So why didn’t they? After all the LTTE was around back then to be tried and be held “accountable”.
Why didn’t we hear anything about “accountability” and “reconciliation” then? Of course why would the West want to punish and dismember such a vital political and military asset?
[[“Yolanda Foster, the Sri Lanka researcher for Amnesty International, said: “We doubt Sri Lanka’s will and ability to bring the perpetrators to justice, given the scale of the allegations and the potential that serving members of the Sri Lankan government may be implicated.””]
LOL. This beggar still around? No one in Sri Lanka cares what AI thinks; it does not represent the people of Sri Lanka. This women and other “human rights” vendors are considered vultures who survive off war and suffering in the 3rd world. Nothing more than criminals representing the worst kind of human beings that love war and misery and pr-longing war and misery as much as possible (as they tried to in Sri Lanka) as it is how they make their living. Like the rest of the West, their “humanitarian” peddlers also have no credibility and are considered greater low lives than machete yielding killers.
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David Blacker / December 19, 2011
“Sri Lankan army commanders were ordered by the country’s leaders to assassinate surrendering Tamils in the final phase of the long and brutal civil war, according to a senior former military officer.”
Really? He said they were ordered to assassinate surrendering Tamils? How come then hundreds of thousands survived? Isn’t it more likely that what he said was, “Sri Lankan army commanders were ordered by the country’s leaders to assassinate surrendering Tigers in the final phase of the long and brutal civil war, according to a senior former military officer.”?
If so, that isn’t a contradiction of the LLRC Report, because the latter says that civilians were not intentionally targeted.
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kalum perera / December 20, 2011
after 2 years this armyman tell lies he was paid by ngo groups
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Punchinilame / December 24, 2011
Can be tested at the ICC in the distant future – when this Army Officer can disclose more damning
version of happenings.
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Bodinayaka / December 21, 2011
I think Tamils been used by different international secret services for their needs in the past decade. Killing Rajiv Gandi the great Indian prime minister to Ranasingha Premadasa who was one of the leading president and all those high profile murders including tamil leaders? . Why not make inquiry and jail all the remaining Tamils for those murders in the name of freedom fighting? Those bus bombs and train bombs which killed innocent children and elderly people? why not do a proper inquiry and put them at least couple of years in jail? The whole country economy and it’s people suffered for 30 years because of this issues. This Tamil terrorist are in the illegal drug trade, gold trade, migration using false propaganda and using boats. you name it. They spoil the whole Indian name. They are dirty people. I mean who would pray for a stone made man “lingam” unless you are retard or totally dumb? right
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Bodinayaka / December 21, 2011
Did everybody forgot why this war took 30 years? If the Sri Lanka army wants it they should have done it in a week.
And Sri Lanka Army has the capability to wipe out this rats within overnight if they want to. When General Denasil Kobebakaduwa’s time we gave them chances to get their bolts tightened. But this stone lingam worshiping dirty retards never got the message right. Until today i guess. Sri lanka Army did their job clean. As former General Sarath Fonseka once said” This is not a football game you can just stop by a whistle’, Every war has it’s dirty secrets. Hiring child soldiers and wearing a cyanide capsule to dumb brainwashed women. Tamils ask for it and they got it very nicely. Now the retard Eelam dream is over and the Diaspora lost their pride because no body in Sri lanka respect them at all. They are the once fuel this madness and lost it. Now when they come to Sri Lanka ” Netta puke gahagena” they are surprised to see what Sri Lanka have achieved within this few years without war. Shame on them.
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Punchinilame / December 24, 2011
Forget not that the tamil diaspora created unintelligently by us, is there to stay, and will keep fighting
their kind of war – and may last even 30 x 3 years! You and I will not be here to witness this war too, as
the one just ended is without witnesses. A somber thought.
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Vasu / December 22, 2011
From some comments I see we are far away from ethics, moral, human rights and war rights.
Eventhough some elements in army and govt. in western countries tries to abolish human rights these countries fought for, they have a strong civil society which has a very stronghold and not some single persons like in SL..
We have plenty of examples. Against US Wikileaks, Guantamo Bay Lawyers Union etc.,
Whites think we are primitive and I say as a Sri Lankan ” Yes, you are right, we need another 200 years to reach your level” . We can talk English, German, French, Japanese. But we can not think like them
It could be the genes from lions which causes all these disruption.
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Bodinayaka / December 22, 2011
you are the primate. you people have been killing , bombing for thirty years. now you just want to establish human rights?
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Vasu / December 22, 2011
BODINAYAKA, never understood the meaning of your name or Buddha Sasana, we never bombed or never done a blow job for MR
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Vasu / December 22, 2011
Like Tamara when MR visited Geneva as a HR lawyer, Tamara distroyed 1500 records of disapearence cases. She did a good Bjob to get a good Djob
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