HRW: Security Forces Stand by During Mob Attacks in Trincomalee
Government must respond to anti Tamil violence
(New York, April 25, 2006) – The Sri Lankan government has failed to respond adequately to recent attacks by armed groups on ethnic Tamils and their homes and businesses in Sri Lanka’s eastern Trincomalee district, Human Rights Watch said today.
Police and other security forces reportedly stood by as Tamils were attacked on April 12 after an alleged Tamil Tiger bomb at a Trincomalee market killed five persons. Witnesses said that within 15 minutes approximately 100-150 ethnic Sinhalese men armed with clubs and long knives attacked Tamil businesses and homes in Trincomalee town and district. Sri Lankan human rights organizations reported that attacks from April 12 to 16 left at least 20 civilians dead (including seven women), among them Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese. Some 75 persons needed hospital attention for injuries.
“The failure of the security forces in Trincomalee to protect the Tamil population should raise alarm bells at the highest levels of government,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government has a responsibility to protect all Sri Lankans, no matter whether they are Tamil, Muslim or Sinhalese.”
Human Rights Watch called on the government to ensure a prompt, independent and impartial commission of inquiry into the violence and the security forces’ response, with powers to recommend prosecution and compensation.
The attacks destroyed some 100 homes and left more than 3,000 people homeless. According to the Trincomalee chamber of commerce, 32 businesses and shops were damaged, destroyed or looted.
Police and armed forces stood by while the burning and killing occurred, waiting from 45 to 90 minutes before taking action. The alarm bell at the Hatton National Bank reportedly rang for two hours without response, while a policeman reportedly told a security guard at the Bank of Ceylon not to resist intruders.
President Mahinda Rajapakse’s response to the violence has been grossly inadequate. According to media reports, President Rajapakse sent high-ranking security officials and other senior officials to Trincomalee in the days following the reprisal attacks. However, Human Rights Watch is unaware of any strong public statements by the president or direct steps to increase security in the district. Some persons displaced by the violence reportedly did not receive emergency government assistance for four days.
“Given continuing ceasefire violations and rising ethnic tensions, communal violence could spiral out of control unless there is a swift and strong government response,” said Adams. “Yet in the days since mobs began targeting Tamils in Trincomalee for arson and murder, President Rajapakse has taken no decisive action.”
Human Rights Watch said that to bring the perpetrators to justice and to demonstrate to Tamils and others that it is committed to equality under the law, the government should ensure a prompt, independent and impartial commission of inquiry into the violence and the response and behavior of the police and armed forces before, during, and after the incident. The commission, which should have at least one international member to reassure the public of its impartiality, should have powers to recommend prosecution and compensation.
Human Rights Watch also called for the prompt re-establishment of a fully functional Human Rights Commission to provide the necessary monitoring and leadership expected from this body since the outbreak of violence in Trincomalee.
The organization also called on Sri Lankan authorities to improve security in Trincomalee district, particularly for vulnerable populations, and to facilitate greater communication and cooperation among the government and civil society groups, including Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim organizations. Human Rights Watch repeated its call to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the Tamil Tigers) to end all attacks on civilians. [Source: HRW] - [TamilWeek Apr 23, 2006]
Related: – Anatomy of violence that shocked Trincomalee
Thanabalasingam :
April 24, 2006 @ 9:15 pm
My dear Tamil brothers and sisters,
I am happy to see such “INDEPENDENT” reporting coming finally from the HRW whom I accused for keeping the mouth shut for long time.
Although it is worth a note, it is “TOO LITTLE TOO LATE” at this juncture.
Our honorable minister of (ANTI) social services has using all the FOREIGN AID to his ministry to divert skillfully and EFFICIENTLY which deplete all the resources for the needy ones.
I see no mention about the ASSASINATION of MR.VIGNESWARAN as the original cause of this chain of events and Still HRW manages to BLAME it on LTTE as always they did it in the past.
Finally, it is an eye opener for those who preach the CHINTHANA and can see what the CHINTHANA really has to offer to the TAMIL people
Dan Ratna :
April 25, 2006 @ 12:23 am
OH Ja….. HRW really worry about Tamils. Come on man, it is too late. They should have done long time ago. HRW is most of the time keeping the mouth shut, when sinhala Forces ( Army, Navy, Airforce and their Pramiltary) attacking Tamils woment and kids. In order to open HRW mouth, Tamils have to die in big amount. You know everyday in North/East more than 10 youths die. Srilankan goverment lables them LTTE. OH JAHH…. shooting on the Civilian Bus and said, there was tiger right beside the bus, but it able escaped, the civlians died due to the aimless shooting. Tamils are getting worse than animal treatment. We should not trust the Srilankan state or their Co – chairs. I wonder, why LTTE is waiting so patienly?. Lets LTTE talk their language and they will understand the innocent Tamils pain. Basterd come to peace talk when they lost and once they got money from International community, they wanna war. You will see how many of your favour friends will protect, when the LTTE shaws start. To China get Srilanka, they must answer the questions of indian forces first, then LTTE. Oh Jaa.. you dreaming China will help the srilankan ingergrity. American is ready bust their butt soon. By the by China government is same as Srilankan, they are very bad on human rights. They can teach that to srilanka and also how to steal humans organs.
Alex :
April 25, 2006 @ 12:34 am
Quote, “The failure of the security forces in Trincomalee to protect the Tamil population should raise alarm bells at the highest levels of government,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government has a responsibility to protect all Sri Lankans, no matter whether they are Tamil, Muslim or Sinhalese.” – HRW
Human Rights Watch (HRW) always give “INDEPENDENT” report, only the people take it in different ways.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) always worry about Humans.
———————
Faith in Human
Jay, Australia :
April 25, 2006 @ 7:46 am
C’mon HRW, at last you had decided to open your eyes or is this was an act after the damage that Jo Becker caused to the Tamils, at large? SOunds like the cricket ummpires nowa days, if they made a mistake to one team, to rectify they will do that against the other team.
How long and how many Tamils had to die or be killed by the SInhalese Thugs and the Paramilitaries for you to open your damn mouth and give an “independent” report at last on Sril Lanka.
HRW how about also mentioning about the cold blooded killing of the legislators and the acadamics, can you atleast rectify now? also an outstanding “Independent” report about the injustice that has been made for the Tamils?
We tamils have lost faith in human, all we believe and have faith is in Tigers (I mean Vanni Tigers, Other are “Paraya Dogs”)
Thanabalasingam :
April 25, 2006 @ 10:53 am
As I have told (warn) earlier “TOO LITTLE TOO LATE” it appears that CEASE FIRE AGGREMENT has CEASED to FUNCTION (Sri Lankan Kfir jets have been bombing LTTE controlled Sampoor, Ilakkanthai and Kattaiparichchan villages in Muttur, Trincomalee district from 5:00 p.m Tuesday. Casualty details are not available at the moment. There are also reports about multibarrel artillery fire. Sri Lankan Dvora attack crafts and gunboats were surrounding the LTTE controlled coastal areas in Trincomalee, civilian sources said- Tamilnet).
“MAY THE GOD (IF HE EXIST AND WATCHING) SAVE THE INNOCENT CIVILIANS OF ALL SECT”.
Unitary, Territorial intergrity and CHINTHANA are all going to take over the HUMAN RIGHTS AND VALUE OF LIFE.
Have we ever learned lessons from the history?
Ramesh Sinniah, Toronto :
April 25, 2006 @ 4:19 pm
H.R.W. is out with a Sri-Lankan crisis report again and this time it was rightfully, condemning the Government of Sri-Lanka for it’s in-action on Tricomalee pogrom.
“Damn if you do Damn if you don’t”
Now the tamils are venting their frustration at the H.R.W. for their previous report on LTTE, instead of thanking them for exposing the Sri-Lankan government’s tacit support and it’s in-action of the pogrom.
Those, who were and are angry should know that H.R.W. is a non-partisan human rights group and their motives are to protect humans regardless of ethnicity or nationality.
Give them all your support, it’s a credible organization who exposes atrocities throughout the world , while the so called world human right defenders keeping a blind eye and being a spectator on the side lines.
Cheers.