Dublin Verdict: Sri Lankan Government is guilty of crimes against humanity

In Dublin, 16th January, at 2.00pm the Peoples' Tribunal Chairman Francois Houtart read the preliminary findings of the Peoples' Tribunal on the war in Sri Lanka and its aftermath. There were four findings:

1: That the Sri Lankan Government is guilty of War Crimes;

2: That the Sri Lankan Government is guilty of crimes against humanity;

3: That the charge of genocide requires further investigation;

4: That the international community, particularly the UK and USA, share responsibility for the breakdown of the peace process.

Harrowing evidence, including video footage, was submitted by eye-witnesses of the use of heavy artillery and phosphorous munitions, and of the continuous violation of human rights by military activity to a panel of ten international jurors over two days.
The Irish Forum for Peace in Sri Lanka welcomed the preliminary findings of the Tribunal. Responding to the findings, the Forum issued the following five demands:

1: We call on the Sri Lankan government to allow the United Nations to conduct an inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated during the final stages of the war between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE, and during the war's aftermath;

2: We call on the Sri Lankan Government to release all those being detained in concentration camps and the estimated 11,000 people being held secretly at unknown locations;

3: We call on the Sri Lankan government to end the use of extra-judicial killings, sexual violence, and the deprivation of food and water as weapons against the civilian population;

4: We call on the Sri Lankan government to end the suppression of political dissent by violent or other means;

5: We call on the Sri Lankan government to fully implement human rights for all citizens of Sri Lanka, and the political solution involving the full participation of the Tamil population, ending the systematic historical discriminatory measures of the Sri Lankan state against the Tamil people.

The Irish Forum for Peace in Sri Lanka asserts that long term peace and stability can only be established on the basis of full justice and rights for all the inhabitants of the island.

தமிழர்களுக்கெதிரான மோசமான போர்க்குற்றக் காணொளி

இலங்கையில் மீண்டும் தமிழர்களுக்கெதிரான மோசமான போர்க்குற்றக் காணொளி வெளியாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Another brutal Sinhala war crime video released.

Sinhalese are claiming that they are decendants of animal lion in their fake history book called 'Mahawamsa'. Here are some more proof of attrocities by this so called animal race. Will the UN act against these war criminals?!

Channel 4 Releases More Crime Video Clips By Sri Lankan Army

VIDEO: Ban ki-moon denies justice for Tamils.

Ban ki-moon denies justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka. It's time to rise up against this UN's most corrupted Secretary General ever.

VIDEO: Ban ki-moon's controversy


UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon denies justice to Tamils by distancing himself from the controversy arising over the Channel 4 video on Sri Lanka by telling reporters in New York that the UN special envoy on extra judicial killings Philip Alston, who released a report on it last week, is acting independently.


The UN Chief said he has seen the report by the special rapporteur of the Human Rights Council and also heard the statements made by the Sri Lankan government and the UN will review the situation and follow up on the issue.

“I have seen the report, and he is the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council. He is acting independently. You might have heard statements made by the Sri Lankan Government and his own personal one. We will review all these situations and we will what the United Nations can do to follow up on these issues. There are still many issues pending: the relocation of displaced persons in Sri Lanka by the end of this month, and the political reconciliation process and also the accountability process, which I have talked to President [Mahinda] Rajapaksa during my visit, to which he had agreed to take the necessary actions. I will continue to follow up on this issue,” the UN Chief told reporters.


Alston told reporters last week that three independent experts concluded that a videotape aired last August in Britain and showing the execution of suspected LTTE cadres allegedly by the Sri Lankan military is authentic.

view also(Video)

UN expert calls for war crimes probe
http://tamilcause.blogspot.com/2010/01/un-expert-calls-for-war-crimes-probe.html

Family members of Mahindas cronies preparing to flee Sri Lanka

Family members of Mahindas cronies preparing to flee Country from Jan 20th

By Dushy Ranetunge

Travel agents in Colombo are reporting brisk trading and high demand for airline tickets from the 20th of January onwards for departures with peak demand on Election Day when not ”the battle of the blues”, but the battle of the “war hero’s” takes place.

We mortals can only wonder in amazement how in a “Buddhist” country, “heroism” is awarded to “dogs of war”. The concept of “War Hero” is irreconcilable with the teachings of the Buddha. But then this land of the Buddha is confusing at most times and at present the outcome of the great contest is anyone’s guess.

On the red corner, weighing in at over 100 kilos is the current undisputed “world” heavy weight champion known as “maharajano” and in the Blue corner, weighing in at 150 kilo’s is the challenger, known as “the cleaner” as he promises to clean up the act including the Presidency.

van, sorry, “Mervin the Terrible” must have sent out his son to get some “Pampers”.

The “Maharajano” won the “world” Heavy weight title in May last year, when he decked the then undefeated Champion, the “Sun God” of VVT, whom some claimed undefeatable.

This is a fight to the death, prisoners will not be taken and you can forget about white flags.

But how the cookie has crumbled since May 2009, such spectacles can only be witnessed in Sri Lanka.

Travel agents in the capital giggle that the “patriots”, “those who love the country” to use the terminology of the incumbent are hurriedly dispatching their families from the 20th onwards and they themselves are taking flight after voting on the big match day.

It seems that they want to watch the result of the great match from afar, just in case “The Cleaner” decks “Maharajano” in the first round.

Meanwhile others on the “those who love the country” gravy train are calling in all their little perks, just in case the “Cleaner” wins the title and kicks them out of the gravy train.

For example, some on the board of Sri Lankan airlines are also at the departure lounge, for the second or third time this month, taking all those free trips to lovely destinations, because if the “Maharajano” is decked, they will lose their jobs and little perks, and the opportunity to live off all their loss making ventures funded by the peasants.


Courtesy:
Transcurrents
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UN expert calls for war crimes probe

Alston says probe proves Channel 4 video is authentic

UN's Sri Lanka 'war crime' video report findings

Three independent experts have concluded that a videotape aired last August in Britain and showing the execution of suspected LTTE cadres allegedly by the Sri Lankan military is authentic, the special rapporteur of the UN Philip Alston told reporters at the UN.

Deeming Sri Lanka execution video authentic, UN expert calls for war crimes probe


Philip Alston commissioned three experts in forensic pathology, forensic video analysis, and firearm evidence to examine the video, after concluding that the investigations carried out by the Government had not been thorough or impartial.

“The conclusion clearly is that the video is authentic,” he told a news conference in New York. “I have therefore called on the Government of Sri Lanka to respond to these allegations.”

The Government – which earlier this year declared victory over the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after years of fighting – has categorically denied the allegations raised by the video, which purportedly depicts the extrajudicial execution of two naked and helpless Tamil men by the Sri Lankan military and the presumed prior executions of others.

It had commissioned four separate investigations which concluded that the video was a fake. However, Mr. Alston had pointed out that two of the Government’s experts looking into the matter were members of the Sri Lankan Army, the body whose actions have been called into question.

Meanwhile, the reports by the three experts from the United States commissioned by Mr. Alston to examine the video “strongly suggest that the video is authentic,” according to a note prepared by the Special Rapporteur.

Peter Diaczuk, an expert in firearms evidence, concluded that the recoil, movement of the weapon and the shooter, and the gases expelled from the muzzle in both apparent shootings were consistent with firing live ammunition, and not with shooting blank cartridges.

Daniel Spitz, a prominent forensic pathologist, found that the footage appeared authentic, especially with respect to the two individuals who are shown being shot in the head at close range. He found that the body reaction, movement, and blood evidence was entirely consistent with what would be expected in such shootings.

Jeff Spivack, an expert in forensic video analysis, found no evidence of breaks in continuity in the video, no additional video layers, and no evidence of image manipulation.

“Given these conclusions, and in light of the persistent flow of other allegations of extrajudicial executions by both sides during the closing phases of the war against the LTTE, I call for the establishment of an independent inquiry to carry out an impartial investigation into war crimes and other grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law allegedly committed in Sri Lanka,” stated Mr. Alston.

He added that there are a small number of characteristics of the video which the experts were unable to explain, including the movement of certain victims in the video, 17 frames at the end of the video, and the date of 17 July 2009 encoded in the video (the conflict was officially declared over in May 2009).

“Each of these characteristics can, however, be explained in a manner entirely consistent with the conclusion that the videotape appears to be authentic,” noted a news release also issued today.

“In sum, while there are some unexplained elements in the video, there are strong indications of its authenticity. In addition, most of the arguments relied upon by the Government of Sri Lanka to impugn the video have been shown to be flawed.”

In a separate development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the Sri Lankan Government that he is considering the appointment of a Commission of Experts to advise him further and to assist the Government in taking measures to address possible violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

Mr. Ban’s spokesperson, Martin Nesirky, told reporters that the UN is in regular contact with the Government regarding the implementation of the joint statement issued in May at the conclusion of the Secretary-General’s visit to Sri Lanka.

In that statement, Mr. Ban had underlined the importance of a comprehensive accountability process for addressing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and the Government undertook to take measures to address grievances of the victims of the conflict. (UN/DM online)





In his report, the United Nations's Special Rappotreur Philip Alston wrote: "Since the video's release, the government of Sri Lanka has claimed that the video is a fake.
"Over the past four months, I have been engaged in a series of communications with the government about this video, in which I requested it to conduct an independent investigation.

"While the Government initially refused to do so, on 7 September 2009, it issued a response stating that it had commissioned four separate investigations, and that they 'have now scientifically established beyond any doubt that this video is a fake'.

"At the time, I expressed concern about the objectivity of the investigations, in part because two of the 'independent experts' worked for the Sri Lankan armed forces.

"Some of the reports seemed more impressionistic than scientific, and I have never been provided the full version of the reports.

"I decided that it was incumbent upon me to commission independent and impartial evaluations of the videotape.

"I retained three experts: in forensic pathology (Dr Spitz), forensic video analysis (Mr Spivack), and firearm evidence (Mr Diaczuk).

"Together, the reports by these experts strongly suggest that the video is authentic.

"A Sri Lankan expert stated that there was no recoil or movement of the weapon discharged.

"However, Mr Spivack and Mr Diaczuk described the recoil visible on the video, and the way in which the movement was consistent with firing live ammunition.

"A Sri Lankan expert stated that the lack of audio synchronization with the video indicated manipulation. However, Mr Spivack stated that the video/audio synchronization in the video was well within acceptable limits, and that audio can be ahead or behind video, subject to various variables.

"A Sri Lankan expert stated that the movement of the second victim after being shot was not consistent with the normal expected reaction. However, Mr Spitz stated that the movement was entirely consistent with the manner in which the individual was apparently shot.

"A Sri Lankan expert stated that while wind could be heard on the audio, it was not evident in the video.

"Mr Spivack however described multiple places in the video where there is clear evidence of wind.

"Sri Lanka’s experts argued that the footage was likely recorded on a digital camcorder, and not a mobile phone.

"Mr Spivack concluded that the metadata he retrieved from the video was entirely consistent with multimedia files produced by mobile phones with video recording capability, and that it would have been very difficult to alter the metadata."