[Fwd: [Marxism] Video evidence of Sri Lankan war crimes — summary exec ution of Tamils]

[Antid Oto]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[Marxism] Video evidence of Sri Lankan war crimes — summary
execution of Tamils
Date: 	Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:38:56 +1000
From: 	Stuart Munckton <stuartmunckton at gmail.com>
Reply-To: 	Activists and scholars in Marxist tradition
<marxism at lists.econ.utah.edu>
To: 	aorta <aorta at home.nl>



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on 26 August 2009 11:30 AM –
www.australiantamilcongress.com

Video Evidence of War Crimes Committed by Sri Lanka Armed Forces

The Australian Tamil Congress, a national body representing Australian
Tamils, wishes to bring to your attention
the disturbing video evidence of members of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces
executing Tamil men.

The footage shows nine young men, stripped naked, hands bound and eyes
blindfolded being shot execution
style by members of the Sri Lankan military. The executioners speak in
Sinhala, the language of the island’s
majority and ruling government. One army officer compares the taking of
turns at shooting the Tamil men to buru,
the Sinhala name for a card game.

The footage released last night shows what the Australian Tamil community
along with human rights campaigners
have long alleged: that the Sri Lankan military has been engaging in crimes
against humanity and war crimes
against the Tamil civilians.

The footage was leaked to British media Channel 4 by Journalists for
Democracy in Sri Lanka, an action group of
journalists, writers, artists and human rights defenders in exile who are
campaigning for democracy, human rights
and media freedom in Sri Lanka.

The original video footage can be downloaded from:
www.australiantamilcongress.com/videodj.3gp

The press release from Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka can be
downloaded from:
www.australiantamilcongress.com/en/news/29-26aug09.html

The Australian Tamil community and human rights campaigners have long been
calling for war crimes
investigations against the Sri Lankan government. The UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights Navi Pillay has
repeatedly called for an international independent investigation into such
violations. However, Sri Lanka has
blatantly opposed such an idea.

Furthermore, despite reporting an end to the war on 19 May 2009, the
Government of Sri Lanka has still not
permitted unrestricted access to the ICRC, UN agencies, international aid
groups, media or independent observers
to the 300,000 Tamil civilians it currently holds indefinitely in heavily
militarised concentration camps.

Allegations of rape, torture and abductions continue to emerge from the
concentration camps, and an estimated
10,000 Tamils have been taken away for interrogation by security forces and
their whereabouts are unknown.
Civilians in the region have not had free access to the UN, the ICRC and
international aid agencies since September
2008, when the Government of Sri Lanka ordered them to leave Tamil areas of
the north of the island.

The Australian Tamil Congress urges the Australian media to report on this
latest evidence of the Sri Lankan
government’s continuing persecution of the Tamil people in the island of Sri
Lanka.

Furthermore, the Australian Tamil Congress urges the Australian government
to heed these convincing signs of
human rights atrocities by the Sri Lankan state against Tamil civilians and
use Australia’s diplomatic power to
pressure the Sri Lankan government to bring to justice all perpetrators.

Media Contact:
Dr. Sam Pari – 0433 428 967

**********
Dit bericht is verzonden via de informele D66 discussielijst (D66 at nic.surfnet.nl).
Aanmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SUBSCRIBE D66 uwvoornaam uwachternaam
Afmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SIGNOFF D66
Het on-line archief is te vinden op: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/d66.html
**********