Sri Lanka 'war crimes' video: woman's body identified

Wednesday 08 December 2010

Jonathan Miller Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Channel 4 News can name a woman journalist as one of the victims in the Sri Lanka execution video along with damning new details of the date and location where the video was filmed.

Warning: this page contains disturbing images.
After extensive investigations Channel 4 News can reveal that one of the victims was a high profile member of the Tamil Tigers press and communications wing.
Shoba - whose nom de guerre was Isaipriya - was aged 27 when she died, and was identified by a friend speaking on condition of anonymity.
The distressing execution video footage, screened by Channel 4 News last week and originating in Sri Lanka, shows a number of incidents of soldiers in uniform shooting in the head people who appear to be unarmed – described as "cold-blooded killing" by an international expert. The video also shows the bodies of other men and women lying on the ground.
Leading war crimes lawyer Julian Knowles, from Matrix Chambers, told Channel 4 News the video was "astonishing evidence" of a type he had only seen "a handful of times" showing the mass killing of civilians or unarmed combatants, a serious war crime.

Read more from war crimes lawyer Julian Knowles on the 'astonishing evidence' of the Sri Lanka video

The video was shot towards the end of Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war, which ended in 2009, between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) group, known as the Tamil Tigers.
Channel 4 News can now reveal that one of the victims was a high profile member of the Tamil Tigers – but her role was as a journalist rather than a direct fighter as a result of a heart condition.
Identity of the victim
One of the women shown in the video has been identified by a close colleague and friend, speaking to Channel 4 News, as the Tamil journalist, Isaipriya (pictured above).
Isaipriya was part of the Tamil Tigers, her former colleague told us. She identified that Isaipriya's body appears in the "war crimes" video, partially covered by a sheet, with cuts to the face.

"Isaipriya never carried a gun and her physical condition did not permit her to go to the battlefield." Friend and colleague of Isaipriya

She said: "Isaipriya joined the LTTE. Because of her physical condition, she was deployed to the media unit. She was in the production team. She did some acting. She was a TV presenter. She was a dancer.
"She never carried a gun and her physical condition did not permit her to go to the battlefield. She always had either a camera, a pen or a notepad."

Evidence of who may be responsible
While Isaipriya's body is seen in a video which includes footage of executions, it is unclear how she died. The identities of the soldiers - who look directly at the camera at times in the video - are also unclear from the video, although the fact that they speak Sinhalese suggests they are government troops rather than Tamil fighters.
However, it has emerged that the date of her death and the soldiers who killed her are both listed on the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence website, fixing the date of the video more accurately and indicating which troops were active at that time.

Sri Lankan war crimes suspect gets post as representative to U.N.

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The Washington Times

6:20 p.m., Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Sri Lankan government has appointed a senior army officer accused of war crimes in the conflict with Tamil rebels as its deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.
Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva's presence in New York coincides with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon setting up a panel of experts to advise him on accountability for human rights violations during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka.
In an interview with theSunday Leader newspaperlate last year, Gen. Sarath Fonseka, the Sri Lankan army chief who led a campaign that ended more than two decades of conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, said Defense Secretary Gothbaya Rajapaksa gave Gen. Silva orders "not to accommodate any LTTE leaders attempting surrender and that 'they must all be killed.'"
The army's 58th Division, which was under Gen. Silva's command, allegedly executed civilians, killed LTTE fighters as they tried to surrender and shelled medical facilities.
Gen. Silva denies the allegations.

Story Continues → Story Continues →

Monday, December 6, 2010

Suspect Sri Lanka war-criminal in UN post under US media spotlight

Suspect Sri Lanka war-criminal in UN post under US media spotlight

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 December 2010, 07:42 GMT]
“The Sri Lankan government has appointed a senior army officer accused of war crimes in the conflict with Tamil rebels as its deputy permanent representative to the United Nations,” Washington Times said in a lead article Sunday referring to ex-Major General Shavendra Silva who commanded one of the largest divisions in Sri Lanka Army, and was the front line commander during the final phases of the war, the blood bath in which more than 40,000 Tamil civilians were alleged to have been killed in indiscriminate bombardment.

Shavendra Silva, retired Army General

The paper said Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva's presence in New York coincides with U.N. Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon setting up a panel of experts to advise him on accountability for human rights violations during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka.

The paper quoted Alan Keenan, project director at the International Crisis Group (ICG) as saying “[it is] disturbing that someone who himself was involved in the very incidents that the U.N. has begun looking into should have any chance to influence the panel's operations.”

• Washington Times article on Shavendra Silva

• TAG's press release on SLA Commander's testimony

• NYPost Article on Gen. Silva

A senior Sri Lankan army officer has confirmed in a sworn affidavit to the group Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) that the army was given orders to kill guerrilla leaders and then burn their bodies, the paper said quoting Jan Jananayagam, a UK-based member of TAG.

HRW: Sri Lanka's war: Time for Accountability

The paper said Sri Lanka’s defense secretary has denied giving such orders and that Gen. Silva in a written response to the paper’s questions has said that reports of the army attacking hospitals are “fabricated.”

The paper also referred to the recent cable exposed by the website WikiLeaks, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Patricia Butenis, wrote that the Sri Lankan president, along with the country's top civilian leadership and Gen. Fonseka are largely responsible for the alleged war crimes, the paper said.

• War Crimes in Sri Lanka: ICG

• AI: 20 years of make believe

Washington Times appears to be reconsidering its view of the Sri Lanka conflict. The paper’s previous position has been that Sri Lanka’s tactics in winning the war against a “ruthless terrorist organization” should be supported, and that others can learn lessons from Sri Lanka’s victory.

Peace for the World

The Dalai Lama

On the occasion of the Dalai Lama's visit to Canada, the Star looks at the spiritual leader, his fight for autonomy for his Tibetan homeland, and the issue of displaced persons.

In this section:

• Dala Lama's front page choices
• Video: A compassionate editor
• Video: The Dalai Lama speaks to the Star
• Photos: The Dalai Lama
• Official website of the Dalai Lama's visit

Tibet: Young democracy faces a big challenge

—Thubten Shoepel's photocopied election posters are everywhere in this mountain village — taped to buildings, trees, bullock carts and temple walls.

Sri Lanka 'war crimes' video; -INDIA TODAY

Video reveals Lankan Army brutality

Thursday | December 2, 2010 | 21:06 IST

An extended version of an old video shows Lankan army allegedly executing blindfolded and bound Tamils during the war with the LTTE.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

Srilanka: If this isn't GENOCIDE, WAR CRIME, Then What on Earth is? Criminal Justice-Sign the Petition

Updating Results...

Change.org

Targeting: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate, and The U.S. House of Representatives

Started by: Muthamizh Vendhan

People from across the globe are condemning the Human rights violations of Srilankan government. And civilized society is fighting hard to establish the justice to the tamils. Killing of nearly 1,40,000 innocents, war crimes, ongoing slaughter on the journalists, moderates, reformists, artists and having opposition leader behind the bars make the Srilanka as a criminal and a failed state.
LIST OF FEW EVIDENCES:
People's Permanent Tribunal found Srilanka guilty of war crimes and Genocide.
UN's Human Rights Chief is critical of Lankan government Human rights records.
US human rights report accused Lankan rulers for the Human Rights violations.
For your reference i am attaching the supporting evidences for war crimes and Genocide
Grisly Photos Reveal Genocide by Sri Lankan Government Against Tamil People - www.Salem-News.com

Criminal Justice-Sign the Petition

IF YOU CAN’T SPEAK, THEN LEAK -The Sunday Leader

While The Sunday Leader is encouraged to see WikiLeaks picking up where the Western media fell off, we wonder where the leakers are in our own island.
America, the country exposed by the latest leaks, is already one of the most transparent in the world. What of Sri Lanka, where so much goes on behind closed doors, or worse, everyone in the Colombo elite knows who is giving and whose is taking.
Sri Lanka is no stranger to the jungle telegraph, the unseen newswire that tells the shocking truth, mixed with a healthy leavening of interesting lies. Our public news, however, is often a set of glorified press releases and sacrificial lambs. In America the press has fallen over in their desire for access and corporate profits, but the Sri Lankan media remains down out of desire for physical and corporate survival.
IF YOU CAN’T SPEAK, THEN LEAK

WikiLeaks? Rajapaksas Can Keep Cool, Unless…-The Sunday Leader

WikiLeaks? Rajapaksas Can Keep Cool, Unless…The Sunday Leader - Full Story
President Rajapaksa’s London visit with his historic second address before the Oxford University Student Union handled by the London based Bell-Pottinger group’s PR outfit, in a bid to boost his rusty international image, ran into massive “war crimes” protests from Heathrow Airport to Oxford, compelling the Oxford Student Union to cancel the oration on December 2, “on security reasons”. The cancellation ruffled the Presidential confidence so much, they allowed an employee with Bell-Pottinger, to release their official statement, through her private e-mail address.
WikiLeaks? Rajapaksas Can Keep Cool, Unless… - Full Story

Sri Lanka 'war crimes' video; who are these men?

Thursday 02 December 2010
Channel 4 News reveals images of the men caught on camera apparently taking part in executions in Sri Lanka, actions a top lawyer has branded "war crimes". Can you help identify the men involved?

Warning: There are disturbing images in the videos on this page.
The UN has told Channel 4 News that the Sri Lanka apparent execution video, broadcast on Tuesday, deserves further investigation.
The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Professor Christof Heyns, said: "It is shocking indeed, and clearly deserves more investigation," he said.
Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association (IBA), told Channel 4 News the video was prima facie evidence of war crimes being committed.
"This is a very disturbing video and clearly, on the face of it, shows war crimes have been committed and perhaps crimes against humanity, depending on who the group targeted was.
"There is no question that this video is prima facie evidence that these crimes were committed. And therefore there's a responsibility on the part of the international community to push for an investigation and prosecution."
The video appears to show government troops executing civilians in the last few weeks of the 26-year Sri Lanka war, which ended last year when Sri Lanka declared victory over the Tamil Tigers.

Sri Lanka video contains evidence of war crimes, says ICTY legal expert

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 December 2010, 04:01 GMT]

"This is a very disturbing video and clearly, on the face of it, shows war crimes have been committed and perhaps crimes against humanity, depending on who the group targeted was," said Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association (IBA), after reviewing the execution video broadcast by Channel-4, and added ""[t]here is no question that this video is prima facie evidence that these crimes were committed. And therefore there's a responsibility on the part of the international community to push for an investigation and prosecution."
Ellis further said: "International law is very clear. This does not stop with the soldier. It must move up through command - so cases can be made at the individuals whose faces are shown but also possibly at their commanders if they are military forces."

"Ellis's characterization of Sri Lanka's crimes as possibly constituting crimes against humanity is indeed a welcome commentary, as Tamil people have long known the infliction of such systematic aggregious crimes by successive Sinhala Governments on Tamil people to subdue the Tamils to a second class status. It appears that finally, albeit with delay as is expected under the authoritarian rule in Sri Lanka, clear and convincing evidence of grievous crimes committed in violation of international law are surfacing," said spokesperson for Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), a US-based activist group.

Crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Explanatory Memorandum, "are particularly odious offences in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity or grave humiliation or a degradation of one or more human beings. They are not isolated or sporadic events, but are part either of a government policy (although the perpetrators need not identify themselves with this policy) or of a wide practice of atrocities tolerated or condoned by a government or a de facto authority. Murder; extermination; torture; rape, political, racial, or religious persecution and other inhumane acts reach the threshold of crimes against humanity only if they are part of a widespread or systematic practice. Isolated inhumane acts of this nature may constitute grave infringements of human rights, or depending on the circumstances, war crimes, but may fall short of falling into the category of crimes under discussion."

In 1999, Mr. Ellis was appointed Legal Advisor to the Independent International Commission on Kosovo, chaired by Justice Richard J. Goldstone. In 2003, he was appointed by OSCE to advise on the creation of Serbia's War Crimes Tribunal. He is presently a member of the Advisory Panel to the Defense Counsel for the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY).

The International Bar Association (IBA), established in 1947, is the world’s leading organisation of international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies.

External Links:

CaseU:		Mark Ellis Bio
ICTY:		International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia
ICTY:		Karadzic, Mladic indictment
Channel-4:		Sri Lanka 'war crimes' video: who are these men?
IBA:		Mark Ellis discusses Karadzic trial

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Australian MP calls for Independent Inquiry into Sri Lanka war crimes

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 December 2010, 11:23 GMT]
"I am calling on the Australian Government to support other governments, including Britain, the United States of America and France, in writing to the United Nations declaring support for an independent inquiry into: alleged war crimes committed particularly in the last phase of the war; the treatment of more than 11,000 Tamil youth detained be in accordance with the Geneva Convention; ending planned West Bank style settlements in the Tamil homeland," said Minister of Fair Trading and Australian Member of Parliament for Strathfield, New South Wales, Ms Virginia Judge, during the parliamentary session Wednesday.

Virginia Judge, MP

Commending her constituents of Tamil origin as "solid citizens, noted for their commitment to education, a strong work ethic and devotion to family life, as well as to the greater community in which they live," the MP said, "it is with great sadness that I have learnt of the alleged war crimes perpetrated against these people in their homeland, Sri Lanka. Furthermore, I am advised that after languishing in camps in the wake of the most recent phase of the war in Sri Lanka during 2009, tens of thousands of Tamils in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka are still living without a permanent roof over their heads and with minimal access to health care, employment, education for their children or justice."

Text of Speech by Ms Judge

The MP called on "those governing Sri Lanka to put in place initiatives and strategies that ensure that all minority groups have equal access to choices, equal access to opportunities in education, whether it be at the primary, secondary or tertiary level, equal access to employment, equal access to government services and justice, and equal access to representation in those particular bodies.

"I will be writing directly to the Prime Minister of Australia and to the Minister for Foreign Affairs to support this call on behalf of those that have brought this to my attention, particularly those living in the Homebush area in my community of Strathfield," the MP concluded.

External Links:

AU:

Sri Lanka and Tamil Conflict: Virginia Judge

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Wikileaks Us memo accuses srilanka president of war crimes

Wednesday 01 December 2010

Channel 4 News uncovers a WikiLeaks cable which appears to show the United States believes responsibility for alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka rests with its leaders, including President Rajapakse.

The cable, released today by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, and unearthed by Channel 4 News, was sent from the US Embassy in Colombo on 15 January this year and is headed: "Sri Lanka war crimes accountability: the Tamil perspective".
In it, Ambassador Patricia Butenis tackles what the cable describes as "the most difficult issue", of who in Sri Lanka is accountable for war crimes allegedly committed over the country's 26-year civil war, particularly towards the last few months of the conflict.
The WikiLeaks website has been under sustained cyber attack for most of today, but in a short break Channel 4 News was able to obtain the Sri Lanka cable.

The cable, released today by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, and unearthed by Channel 4 News, was sent from the US Embassy in Colombo on 15 January this year and is headed: "Sri Lanka war crimes accountability: the Tamil perspective".

In it, Ambassador Patricia Butenis tackles what the cable describes as "the most difficult issue", of who in Sri Lanka is accountable for war crimes allegedly committed over the country's 26-year civil war, particularly towards the last few months of the conflict.

The WikiLeaks website has been under sustained cyber attack for most of today, but in a short break Channel 4 News was able to obtain the Sri Lanka cable.