28 March, 2024

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Warning Disturbing Images: Original Photographs Of Killing Prisoners Of War In Sri Lanka

By Colombo Telegraph

“No War Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka,” the culmination of three years of research by Channel 4, which will be shown for the first time next month in Geneva, to coincide with the U.N. Human Rights Council meeting. We publish below the original photographs of LTTEs Col. Ramesh killing. 

T. Thurairajasingham, whose call sign was Romeo Sierra, and nom de guerre was Colonel Ramesh.

“This single murder, insignificant of itself, suggest the systematic, large-scale killing of prisoners – civilians and fighters – by the Sri Lankan authorities. These are the murders that the government has long denied, and which, when asked, they say didn’t happen, or if they did were committed by the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) themselves. When pressed, they ask for the evidence, assert that the recorded images are fakes, or request the names of witnesses, such as several Sinhalese troops who already have come forward to provide secret testimony of war crimes. ” –  Gordon Weiss

“The Col. Ramesh footage melts any heart to see a hardened Tiger cowing down before semi-educated soldiers and addressing them as ‘Sir’ as they ask him for his ‘live place.’ The evidently visible fear and anxiety on his face measure the terror of the army that would have been felt by less hardened Tamils in Mullivaikal and throughout refugees camps in May 2009. The interrogators’ faces are recognizably visible. Within the army, they would be quickly identified, making it awkward for the government. Trophy photos being taken – the undoing of the murderers – is also seen. For Col. Ramesh’s family the images of their father/husband reduced to what we see would only deepen their grief.” –  Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Click here for in-depth analysis by Gordon Weiss.

The Tamil widow of T. Thurairajasingham (Colonel Ramesh) brought an action against Mahinda Rajapaksa, the sitting President of Sri Lanka and the agents under his control. She is asking for compensatory and punitive damages for torture, inhumane treatment and war crimes inflicted by the defendant in violation of the laws of the United States and International Law.

Colonel Ramesh, being interrogated, and his old and new wounds being examined, on 22 May 2009 by Sri Lankan army personnel in the back of an APC (possibly an armoured Humvee), an image that forms part of the chain of custody. Supplied photo.

Colonel Ramesh, changing into Sri Lankan army fatigues on 22 May 2009, watched by Sri Lankan army personnel in the back of an APC (possibly an armoured Humvee), an image that forms part of the chain of custody. Supplied photo.

Colonel Ramesh, moments after being shot with a high calibre weapon on 22 May 2009 lies on the floor of a mud wall house, an image that forms part of the chain of custody. Supplied photo.

Colonel Ramesh, after being shot with a high calibre weapon on 22 May 2009 lies outside a mud wall house, viewed by a Sri Lankan army soldier, an image that forms part of the chain of custody. Supplied photo.

Colonel Ramesh, after being shot with a high calibre weapon on 22 May 2009, now placed on a stack of wood for burning, an image that forms part of the chain of custody. Supplied photo.

Colonel Ramesh, after being shot with a high calibre weapon on 22 May 2009, is burned on a pyre. A Sri Lankan army soldier poses for a ‘trophy’ photo, an image that forms part of the chain of custody. Supplied photo

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uow2yA9MQNs&feature=related

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Latest comments

  • 5
    2

    Executions by state personnel occur even now.
    Recently,16 prisoners at Welikada Prison, some in handcuffs, were executed by the STF in the evening of the ‘riots’,and 11 were taken out and shot dead by police next morning,before dawn.
    If this can happen now,the killings of captured & surrendered LTTers could very well have happened during, and just after the end of the war.

    • 3
      3

      Good riddance to them too.

  • 3
    3

    This professor is [Edited out]

    For Col. Ramesh’s family the images of their father/husband reduced to what we see would only deepen their grief.” – Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

    Where was this lunatic professor when this Ramesh (murderer) killing thousands of innocent people , what was the feelings of those families

    This lunatic professors only one part of the brain is working

    • 2
      2

      Kris

      This professor was hiding behind his Pombule’s sari when blood sucking LTTE ran a muck in our motherland. He was scared of loosing his life and even ran away from SL with wet pants. All of a sudden this [Edited out] prof has a lot of good things about LTTE monkeys even about a dead one. He appears to be scared of them.

  • 0
    4

    Eliminating mass muderer Ramesh is a trophy for future generation of SL

  • 1
    3

    Hey Professor

    Did all the barberic LTTE carders fully educated, you became professor thanks to SL free education system.

    • 0
      2

      Kris

      Same applies to all Tamil -Die Ass-Poo-ra who got free education thanks to poor Slankan tax payers. Now try to screw SL in many ways.

      Where is the f**king morals of these idiots.

    • 2
      1

      That was and is now the system of education.It’s not that you gave.It was for everyone.You talk like a master and Tamils as your underclass who got education because of your generosity.That mentality should change otherwise Srilanka will be a troubled ruined land for generations to come.Remember you are the next in world’s eyes!!!!!

  • 0
    1

    The evidence continues to mount…

    “It wasn’t long before the Sri Lankan defence ministry website listed Pulidevan and Nadesan as among the dead. Months later a photograph appeared on websites abroad of their half naked corpses, revealing bullet wounds and burn marks on the front of the bodies. There has never been any official explanation for the injuries in these pictures which don’t match the government’s story that the men were shot in the back by their own people while trying to escape.”

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/sri-lankas-atrocity-against-the-tamils-is-no-longer-in-doubt/article9013462/

    • 0
      2

      That’s ‘cos no one really gives a shit how terrorists die. As long as they are dead.

  • 0
    0

    “No one gives a shit how terrorists die” In today’s enlightened world, we beg to disagree or the world will again become a savage concrete jungle.

    But, David, the point is who is a “Terrorist” and who the patriot and liberation fighter? How does one distinguish between VP, Wijeweera,
    Gamini D, Premadasa, Sarath Fonseka or even Premadasa. The same question has been asked of Che Guevera in as much as they have of Abimel Guzman (Shining Path, Peru) or Abdullah Ocalan (PKK, Turkey)

    Such summary treatment to crazed men like the ISI hired-assassin Ajmal Kasab of Mumbai massacre notoriety may be justified – as he confessed “I am sorry for what I have done. I didn’t know I had to kill children and women. I simply did what I was told because they said they will give Rs.1 lac to my father” But of a man who said “if I am to be captured. I ask one of you – around me – to shoot me dead
    before I am captured”???? I don’t agree entirely with the man, his politics or the latter path he chose. But his credentials as a man who was ready to lay his life for his people and his cause will remain to be part of romanticised history of popular resistance against great odds.

    Senguttuvan

    • 0
      0

      senguttuvan

      You say quote” But his credentials as a man who was ready to lay his life for his people and his cause “,unquote.

      Please don’t talk nonsense.It is only the foolish rank and file who fit that description,not the leaders.Some middle level leaders like theepan,balraj fit your description,but not this man col Ramesh.he killed a lot of innocent sinhalese on karuna’s orders and also did not take the cyanide as stipulated to the rank and file,and tried to mingle with the refugees and get away.He did not fight to the last and I can’t remember him leading from the front in any battles unlike Theepan and Balraj who were real tamil warriours and did not kill civilians. Soosai also can be considered in that category.

      You have to separate the wheat from the chaff here.All those who just don on a uniform and get some rank or other are not real soldiers.A true warrior does not kill civilians and treats his opponents with respect and does not ask others to do what he himself will not do.This man Ramesh does not fit that bill and good riddance of bad rubbish.

    • 0
      1

      If you wish to question whether Wijeweera, Col Ramesh, VP, and the Tigers were in fact terrorists, make your case. I am not too interested in the rest.

  • 0
    1

    Also, saying “I was just following orders” doesn’t justify a crime; nor does one’s motivations, monetary or otherwise.

  • 0
    0

    Shankar – I was not referring to Col. Ramesh but to The Boss – who
    ruined almost all of us by his latter mis-adventure.

    Senguttuvan

    • 0
      1

      Senguttuvan,the ‘boss’ I presume you mean Prabha is in the same boat as Col Ramesh. Boss was BB(not Big Balls as normal depiction of abreviation BB,but Bunker Boss)fighting throughout the 25 years in a bunker 24/7,so afraid of losing his life. Did he ever inspire the cadres by even once coming to the battlefield and showing his face?Our ancient kings fought leading from the front,present category of leaders all over the world lead from the back but take all the credit when there is a victory.

      Good riddance of bad rubbish that both boss prabha and col ramesh are done with including all those fellows who came with white flags while telling the cadres to take the cyanide.

  • 1
    1

    Some misguided but well meaning Sri Lankans have suggested that Sri Lanka investigate alleged ‘war crimes’ alleged by none other than the separatist terrorist diaspora tiger lobby and their partners in crime Channel4, HRW, Amnesty International and some politicians in western countries.

    However these allegations are all false based in hearsay and innuendo and no real evidence whatsoever. They are in effect made up stories to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka and to ensure that Sri Lanka is sanctioned at the current sessions of the UNHRC.

    As someone who has until recently lived a long time in the west I can say with confidence that these separatist terrorist diaspora tiger lobby spreads many lies against Sri Lanka on a regular basis now for well over thirty years.

    Their real agenda is definitely to partition Sri Lanka and finally create an Eelam that could not be achieved so far using the LTTEs violence, massacres, mass terrorism and bombings. The diaspora tiger lobby if they even remotely care about human rights should first and foremost apologise for the thousands of sinhala, tamil and muslim civilians who were massacred by the LTTE terrorist leadership and their tacit support of such. Then they should apologise for the civilians massacred by the LTTE using countless bomb blasts. Afterwards they should apologise for the ethnic cleansing of the north carried out by the tigers. Then they should apologise for all the prisoners of war massacred by the tigers. Then they should apologise for the child soldier recruitment. There are too many gross violations of human rights committed by the tigers to list here but they should apologise for all of them unreservedly since they tacitly supported such atrocities without question.

    It is very clear that human rights are the furthest from the minds of the diaspora separatist tiger lobby. Additionally what has this lobby done to make the lives of the people in the north better? Nothing. The people of the north are much better off without them trying to use them as pawns in their dubious schemes and plans. The diaspora tiger lobby are actually trying to destabilise Sri Lanka.

    Sri Lanka should not waste any of its precious time or precious resources investigating gross lies spread by this tiger lobby. Instead Sri Lanka must tell the UNHRC that

    (i) do not waste Sri Lanka’s time demanding Sri Lanka investigate made up stories

    (ii) Sri Lanka has a massive task ahead in terms of development and peace

    (iii) Sri Lanka is doing well and has achieved normalcy during the last four years and is forging ahead with peace and development restored

    (iv) point out that the so called accusers i.e. the tiger separatist lobby were not so long ago supporters of a terrorist criminal gang

    (iv) if any of these groups want to engage with Sri Lanka they should do so directly and bilaterally and that Sri Lanka does not under any circumstances entertain the idea of investigating unsubstantiated stories, video tapes etc. and that Sri Lanka has better things to do like running a country and taking care of over 20 million people.

    Sri Lanka should be very firm and forthright in this reply. Sri Lanka should point out that all these ‘accusers can discuss any issues they have directly and bilaterally with the Sri Lankan Government and that that is it.

  • 0
    0

    This Ramesh does not deserve to live even this long

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