Sri Lankan attacks kill 208 civilians within 72 hours

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery-fitted cluster shells hit several IDP settlements within the 'safety zone', claiming the lives of at least 53 civilians Saturday until 3:00 p.m. Around 112 civilians sustained injuries. On Friday, 86 civilians were killed and more than 100 civilians were wounded. Dead bodies were not brought to the hospital as shelling continued. Thousands of civilians within the 'safety zone' were forced to remain inside the bunkers. 69 civilians were killed on Thursday in the indiscriminate shelling and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombardments. More than 330 civilians have been wounded within the last 3 days. Artillery shells with cluster-bomblets exploded Saturday Ampalavanpokka'ani and Maaththa'lan. Artillery shells have hit a few bunkers killing civilians inside the bunkers. Shells also hit Mu'l'livaaykkaal and Iraddaivaaykkaal. Ira'naippaalai, outside the 'safety zone' is under continuous barrage. Casualty details were not available from Ira'naippaalai. On Saturday, Shells exploded 500 meters away from the hospital. Two of the civilians, who were waiting to register themselves with the GS (Village Officer) in order to receive humanitarian supplies at a location between Maaththa'lan and Ampalavanpokka'nai, were also killed in the shelling.On Thursday, 31 civilians were killed at Aananthapuram in I'ranaippaalai in SLAF bombardment and SLA shelling. Two bombers dropped 8 times in two rounds throughout the day. Sasi Mathan, 27, Mullaiththeevu District Distribution Manager of Eezhanaatham Daily, the only newspaper published in LTTE controlled territory, was among the victims at Aananthapuram. He is a native of Mu'l'liyava'lai. Four civilians were killed Thursday when SLA shelling targeted an area where government vehicles were parked was also subjected to shell attack at Valaignarmadam.A fire-bomb shell claimed the lives of 4 more civilians in Pokka'nai on Thursday. Around 30 civilians were killed in the remaining places, including Mu'l'livaaykkaal on Thursday. The SLA also fired from Chaalai using long-range machine guns into the sea on Thursday. At least one bullet hit the ICRC ship, according to informed sources.

Media activists in Colombo fear reprisals, keep away from protest

Around 25 media persons, mostly leftist oriented, took part in a demonstration Thursday noon at Colpetty junction in Colombo, protesting against the manner in which Vithyatharan, the editor of ‘Sudaroli’ Tamil newspaper was 'arrested' by the Sri Lankan Police. Many media activists and journalists kept away from demonstration fearing reprisals by the Colombo government, concerned activists told TamilNet. Colombo Crime Division police personnel, disguised as media men, took photographs of the protesters, according to the participants in the protest. Siritunga Jayasuriya, the leader of United Socialist Party and Dr. Vickramabahu Karunarante, the president of the Left Front and the general secretary of the NSSP and Human Rights Lawyer, Nimalka Fernando took part in the demonstration.Colombo based Free Media Movement (FMM), which used to issue timely statements on the injustice caused to journalists, is yet to release a statement on the 'abduction' and later the detention of Vithyatharan by the police, the sources further said. Only a statement was issued on behalf of the five organisations following the 'arrest' of Vithyatharan.Almost none of the media organizations including FMM, Working Journalists’ Association, Ceylon Tamil Journalists’ Association were present at the demonstration Thursday, complained the participants. Representatives of the leading Tamil dailies Thinakural and Virakesari were also not seen participating in the demonstration.

US Congressman supports review of Gotabaya, Fonseka indictment

Congressman Walter B Jones representing North Carolina's 3rd District, in a letter of support sent to the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder, said that the "Department of Justice must take care to review all issues brought to its attention," in the model indictment submitted early February, and requested that the Justice Department to "review this document thoroughly." Congressman Jones serves in the House Committee on Armed Services and in the Committee on Financial Services. Full text of the letter follows:

Honorable Eric H. Holder

United States Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Mr. Attorney General:

I am in receipt of the model grand jury indictment of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka proposed by Mr. Bruce Fein, Counsel for Tamils Against Genocide. It is my understanding that this document was submitted to the Department of Justice last week.

Congress communicated its strong committment to prosecution for acts of genocide when it passed the Genocide Accountability Act of 2007. That Act, which amended 18 USC 1091, extended the reach of the U.S. law when investigating and prosecuting acts of genocide.While I have no personal knowledge of the facts or events charged in the aforementioned model indictment, the Department of Justice must take care to review all issues brought to its attention. I respectfully request that you review this document thoroughly.Sincerely,Walter B Jones (signed) Member of Congress

SLA shells hospital environs, 13 killed including 4 children

Sri Lanka Army fired artillery shells targeting the environs of Maa'ththa'lan makeshift-hospital within the 'safety zone' from 5:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The shells hit the IDP settlement, located 200 meters near the hospital, claiming the lives of 13 Tamil civilians. Four of them were children, including a 1-year-old baby. 56 civilians have sustained injuries, according to medical sources. Two children below the age of 10 were reported missing. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Air Force fighter bombers were seen bombing north of the 'safety zone' twice Tuesday morning. Shelling was also reported in Pokka'nai area, but casualty figures were not available. Meanwhile, a shell exploded on a bunker Monday night, causing injuries to 4 civilians in Maaththa'lan.

STF kills mother of raped girl in Batticaloa

Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) commandos who had sexually assaulted a 14-year-old Tamil girl Sunday in Vellaave’li police division, again went to the girl’s house Monday between 8:00 p.m and 9:00 p.m where they assaulted her father first and then severely tortured her mother before killing and dumping her body in the well as punishment for complaining against the STF with Batticaloa police for raping her daughter. The father was held bound while the commandos beat the mother to death, the neighbors said. Vellaave’li police recovered the body of the mother with the help of neighbors and handed it over to Ka’luvaangnchchikudi hospital.The mother of the raped girl had earlier complained of the incident to Eastern Province Chief Minister, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan.The Chief Minister had reportedly said that he had no authority on security affairs directing her to take the matter to Vinayagamoorthy Muralitahran alias Karuna, member of parliament. The STF commandos in Vellaave'li police division in Batticaloa sexually abused a 14-year-old Tamil girl in front of her mother during a cordon and search conducted Sunday early morning in Vallaave’li, sources. The medical officer who examined the girl admitted to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital confirmed that she had been sexually abused. The STF commandos, having ordered all the men in the area to go to a temple, interrogated the women who were left alone in the houses collecting particulars about members of the family besides sexually abusing them.