US reports possible war crimes in Sri Lanka

[oberliner]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON — Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil rebels may have both violated the laws of war this year during the culmination of their 25-year armed conflict, a US government report said Thursday.

The State Department report cited allegations in which Tamil rebels took boys and girls to join their guerrilla force and in which government forces broke a ceasefire as well as killed rebels who had agreed to surrender.

It also cited reports in which government troops or government-backed paramilitaries "abducted and in some instances then killed Tamil civilians, particularly children and young men."

The report, which is being sent to the US Congress, also said not enough food, medicine and clean water reached a no-fire zone and civilian camps even though the government had pledged to guarantee sufficient supplies there.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5guGHJ5q9Wicsu44FhV1XC1xlRuug

[CBGLuthier]

1. Really? The US accuses others of war crimes

Damn, this country has balls.

[blublu]

2. damn big ones

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. ZACTLY-USA accusing others of war crimes after the slaughter in Iraq is somewhat ridiculous

.
.
.

"shock and awe" was nothing more that target practice for the USA's satellite weapons of death and destruction

and the slaughter that will continue for decades will outdo Hitler's gas ovens.

The depleted uranium spread around the Middle East since Bush 1 will kill millions, and destroy food-crops and water supplies long after the bush-gang is dead and gone.

"Mission Accomplished"

No-one in the World really knew what Dubya meant by that -

but indeed, by PNAC standards, their mission is accomplished

and we sat on our asses and watched

(sigh)

[tazkcmo]

5. You are SO nice!

Somewhat ridiculous! lol Thank you for being nice! :)

[tazkcmo]

4. I don't even need to read the body of the article.

Pot meet kettle.

[oberliner]

6. Don't you think someone ought to invesigate the claims?

It certainly does not need to be the US, but it does seem that credible human rights groups have identified violations that have taken place in the conflict between the Tamil fighters and the Sri Lankan military.

[Vehl]

7. Exactly! Tell that to my 80 year old grandmom who died.(to the naysayers)!

Just cos the us did something remotely similar does not give Srilanka a get out of jail card free.
And yes i have a personal interest in this story..cos my grandmom..a 80 year old lady died for the want of a basic oxygen cylinder-facility in the hospital...due to the embargo the government has on medicinal supplies to the north and east.

As a 5 year old kid i barely escaped being shot at from a Lankan air force helicopter...we were just a some civilians going to the neighborhood temple...they simply shoot at everyone and then claim "terrorists" were killed. If i had died that day i too would have been listed as a "terrorist" in the Lankan papers(they dont have any press freedom to speak of). so for "some" this topic might not even worth a read..but for me its personal.


and its not just the US complaining...but the Norwegian peace monitoring mission was calling for war crimes charges against Srilanka too..along with Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Doctors without borders..the list goes on.

Lets not forget that the Human Rights watch, Amnesty International and other aid groups , along with Journalists have been banned from the North and East of the country from the Lankan government.


A recent report by Human Rights Watch is about the video of summary execution of Tamils by the Lankan Soldiers and the government denial to investigate that claim


(Human Rights Watch)Sri Lanka: Execution Video Shows Need for International Inquiry
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/08/26/sri-lanka-execution-video-shows-need-international-inquiry


This video..shot by a Srilankan soldier and smuggled out to the Channel 4 news agency shows what goes on when aid agencies and journalist are banned from the conflict zone.

Channel 4 News shows footage claimed to show Sri Lankan forces executing Tamils earlier this year. Jonathan Miller reports.

Warning: Graphic content...

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/asia_pacific/execution%20video%20is%20this%20evidence%20of%20war%20crimes%20in%20sri%20lanka/3321087




PS:

AFAIK the Us does not engage in ethnic cleansing nor does it encourage periodic pogroms against a segment of its own populous.
Nor does it ban any aid agency from talking to/investigating claims of abuse.

also it does not hold 300 000 civilians,(men women children and the elderly) under barbed wire fences in the name of "security"

SriLanka's actions are on the same level as of the Bosnian atrocities.