Christians welcome UN criticism and need to learn from the atrocities of war
Colombo (AsiaNews) - Testimonies of survivors of the civil war in Sri Lanka confirm the UN allegations against the government in Colombo. A group of Christians, religious and laity, have gathered the evidence in a document. In recent days, the United Nations released a report on possible war crimes committed by the government and Tamil rebels. Colombo has criticized the report, denying the allegations (see AsiaNews.it, UN publishes report on war crimes. Colombo protests). The Christian group instead recommends an analysis of the UN report: "We all believe that as Sri Lankans we should treat this report as a resource and a tool. It is helpful in our efforts in the reconciliation process, which is based on truth, justice, responsibility and compensation for victims. " The document is entitled " Is the report of the UNSGs panel of experts a conspiracy and obstacle ?" and was released last April 26. The 25 signatories also included Mgr. Kumara Illangasinghe, Anglican bishop emeritus.
The document of the Christian group is full of testimonials: "During the latter stages of the conflict - particularly between January and May 2009, but still today - people of all kinds - religious, local officials, humanitarian workers, doctors, farmers, fishermen, women , teachers, traders, students - have spoken to us of bombing, heavy artillery and rockets that have killed entire families, their friends, or caused serious mutilation. " Disappearances were also on the agenda. As in the case of a Catholic priest and some Tamil rebels, "who had surrendered and handed themselves over to the army, only to disappear and never to be seen again." Or, are those who, after having surrendered, were gunned down by the military.
The 25 claim to have received "desperate calls, emails and messages about how the government repeatedly shelled the no fire zones where it asked civilians to take shelter, how hospitals and food distribution centers were attacked when their locations were known and clearly marked and about people being killed and injured in these places and in bunkers they had dug with bare hands”
Some survivors spoke of surgeries done without anaesthesia, amputations with ordinary knives, refusal by the government to send in much needed medical supplies and food despite repeated requests.
Following the UN report, the Christian group also pointed the finger against the Tamil Tigers. The UN in fact, speaks of the crimes committed by rebels (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - LTTE), which in the final stages of the conflict used civilians as human shields to protect themselves from bombing. "We collected evidence - stat the 25 - of people executed by the LTTE because they had tried to escape." At the time, it seems that some parents have tried to hide their children to save them from forced recruitment into the ranks of the rebels. Because, says the text of the group, "if the children tried to escape or refused recruitment, they were killed by the insurgents."
The Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (Llrc) - the committee created by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to investigate and shed light on the events of the period 2002-2009 - in the past months has collected the testimonies of the people of Vanni in the Northern Province (the area most affected by the war). These accounts coincide with those reported by the group of Christians. However, they add, "Our regret is that almost two years after the end of the conflict, Sri Lankans have failed us in listening to and telling the stories of our brothers and sisters - with few exceptions - and that our media have refused to publish these stories. In addition, we recognize that many of those who wanted to talk, are held back by fear of retaliation. For this we honour those few who had the courage to share their experiences. "
The document " Is the report of the UNSGs panel of experts a conspiracy and obstacle ?” concludes that it is for the people of Sri Lanka "to establish and recognize the truth, apologize for the sins committed, to ensure justice and responsibility ", and to show care and support towards the survivors. The group is calling for justice "for victims and families of the disappeared, the wounded in war and as a result of torture, those held in detention without charge and without due process, the displaced." And it defines the need for "a long-term political solution which will address the grievances of the Tamil community: the same that led to the birth of the LTTE and full scale war."
The 25 signatories of the document are: Mgr. Kumara Illangasinghe, sr. Deepa Fernando, Sr. Helen Fernando, Sr. Jesmin Fernando, Fr. Ashok Stephen OMI, Fr. M. Sathivel, Fr. Nandana Manatunga, Fr. Jeyabalan Croos, Fr. Praveen Mahesan OMI, Fr. Rayappu Augustin, Fr. Rohan Dominic CFM, Fr. Rohan Silva OMI, Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda, Fr. Sherad Jayawardena, Fr. Terence Fernando, Fr. Thangarasa Jeevaraj S.J., Jovita Arulanantham, Juliana Arulanantham, Tirzah Suares, Ainslie Joseph Britto Motha, Jude Premana, Nimal Perera, Philip Sethunga, Rukshan (Ruki) Fernando.
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