JUSTICE FOR ISSAIPPRIYA:

Sri Lanka War Atrocity: World leaders, politicians, the civil society and the media must take the lead in calling for an international independent investigation.

World leaders, politicians, the civil society and the media must raise their voice, leading both the demand for justice for those who perished as a result of Sri Lanka’s war atrocities and the increasing call for an international independent investigation, by either, establishing a special tribunal convened for that purpose, similar to that of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) or asking the International Criminal Court (ICC), to try political and military leaders accused of war crimes in Sri Lanka.

The clamour for justice for those who perished as a result of Sri Lanka’s war atrocities and the demand for an international independent investigation into war crimes has intensified. Evidence of the sheer horror of the brutality inflicted on Tamils providing definitive proof, has now emerged. Gruesome and graphic video footage shown by Channel 4 News of the naked body of a woman now identified as Isaippriya, a journalist and anchor woman for the rebel television station, “Oliveechchu” a non combatant, bound and shot to death has shocked the world. “Damning details of the date of her death and the soldiers who killed both listed on the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence website, fixing the date of the video more accurately and indicating which troops were active at that time”, is definitive.

It is suspected Isaippriya may have been gang raped before she was shot dead, these suspicions arising from the lewd comments of her killers, heard in the background in the video footage. The appalling way Isaippriya and the other women and men shown in the video have been treated has to be seriously investigated. Their killers who have behaved like psychopaths not soldiers, real beasts not men of valour and their bosses (in accordance with the doctrine of command responsibility if nothing else), have to have their day in court.

Isaippriya an intelligent, multi-talented beauty with an angelic voice, the darling of her television audience, who had a congenital heart ailment, who never carried a gun, was mostly seen with pen, note pad and camera and known for her principled stance in the struggle for freedom, has become an iconic figure in death as she was in life. Isaippriya’s dead body, in a state of undress, with her hands tied behind her back and her blood stained face showing signs of trauma, has generated a profound feeling of outrage in the minds of people who have seen the video, underscoring the need for justice to be served.

Isaippriya was one of many Tamil men and women seen in the video footage which also carried horrific scenes of some men being summarily executed. Jonathan Miller reporting for Channel 4 News said of the gruesome executions: “The distressing execution video footage, screened by Channel 4 News originating in Sri Lanka shows a number of incidents of soldiers in uniform shooting in the head people who appear to be unarmed – described as “cold-blooded killing” by an international expert. The video also shows the bodies of other men and women lying on the ground.”

In the light of such mounting evidence that war crimes were committed in Sri Lanka with some of the perpetrators now known and believed to have acted on “orders coming from the top” the Sri Lankan government and President Mahinda Rajapakse must come clean with the truth of what happened in the war in Sri Lanka and must submit them selves to proper scrutiny by agreeing to an international independent investigation. British Prime Minister, David Cameron and highly respected members of the ‘civil society’ the world over including International Crisis group, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have made it known that an international investigation is necessary. The damning evidence now revealed shows they must submit to scrutiny, evidence described by a leading human rights lawyer, Julian Knowles of Matrix Chambers “as astonishing” of a type he had only seen “a handful of times” showing the mass killing of civilians or unarmed combatants which he says, is a “serious war crime” and that the “United Nations must act”.

Going by the opinions of independent experts and the media, many believe the massacre and summary executions that took place in Sri Lanka amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and constitute an act of genocide. These crimes allegedly presided over by President Rajapakse and carried out with his full knowledge and orders, which The Times called the “Hidden Massacre”, cannot be hidden anymore.  Channel 4 News has previously reported “that a senior officer and a frontline soldier have spoken to them about the ruthless nature of their task and that both Tamil fighters and civilians were executed after surrendering and that their orders came from the top.” They were told to “kill everybody and finish them off”, the report said. The Times editorial of 29, May 2009 expressly states that “the photographs taken by The Times, published in the UK, present clear evidence of an atrocity that comes close to matching Srebrenica and Darfur and other massacres of civilians” and declares “that the truth must be told.” Looking at the Srebrenica massacre, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) decided the massacre of 8,000 Muslim civilians and prisoners “was an act of genocide”. The ICC has also filed 10 charges of war crimes including 3 counts of genocide against Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, issuing a warrant for his arrest, the first issued to a sitting head of state.

Until this time Mahinda Rajapakse has categorically denied the serious allegations against him and both his government and armed forces although evidence to the contrary has shown otherwise. The responsibility for the crimes must fall squarely on Mahinda Rajapakse, further validation to this effect has come from US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Patricia Butenis who has said in her cables to the US government revealed by Wiki Leaks that “President Mahinda Rajapakse bears much of the responsibility, along with his government, generals and some of his family for the mass killings that marked the end of the war with the Tamil Tigers….” These allegations must surely be investigated by an independent body.

Keeping in mind that the deadline for submissions to the UN Panel of Experts appointed to advise the United Nations Secretary General Ban ki Moon on the issue of accountability with regard to alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka has been fixed for 15, December 2010, it is timely that a call for an international independent investigation gains momentum – a concerted voice from world leaders, politicians, the civil society and the media will make a difference to put pressure to bear for an international independent investigation, by either establishing a special tribunal convened for that purpose, similar to the ICTY or by asking the ICC, to try political and military leaders accused of war crimes in Sri Lanka.

World figures must take the lead to bring this horrific war atrocity and the perpetrators to book.

Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

http://www.tamildaily.net/2010/12/12/sri-lanka-war-atrocity-world-leaders-politicians-the-civil-society-and-the-media-must-take-the-lead-in-calling-for-an-international-independent-investigation/