R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN
A file picture of TNA leader R. Sampanthan during a press meet in New Delhi. Photo: V.V. Krishnan.
Calling upon the international community to “establish” a “mechanism for accountability” to bring to book the perpetrators of war crimes during the last stages of Eelam War that ended in May 2009, The Tamil National Alliance on Monday said that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report “categorically fails to effectively and meaningfully deal with issues of accountability.” The TNA insisted that the allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both the Tamil Tigers and the Government, during the last stages of the war, needed to be fully investigated. The UN Panel of Experts which investigated the last stages of the war, had concluded that the LTTE had deliberately targeted civilians and used them as human shields, among other violations.
The allegations against the Sri Lanka government include, deliberately underestimating civilian numbers in the Vanni area in order to deprive them of food and medical supplies, deliberately or recklessly endangering the lives of civilians in No-Fire Zones, targeting civilian objects including hospitals, and executing or causing the disappearance of those who had surrendered.
“The LLRC concludes that, on these issues, the Government is not responsible. Instead, it shifts blame onto individual soldiers and surmises that any violations that may have been committed were merely isolated incidents. For example, large numbers of disappearances that resulted from the surrender of unarmed persons to Government forces have been cynically dismissed as isolated incidents perpetrated 'by a few'. The LLRC unjustifiably rules out the possibility that these violations were systematic,” Mr. Sampanthan said.
