The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), wishes to submit the following materials
for your consideration. TGTE is a democratically elected body of the Tamil diaspora. As the
democratic representatives of the Tamil diaspora, we have collected testimonies from:
Family members of those killed/disappeared.
Family members of those whose loved one's graves were desecrated and destroyed by the
Sri Lankan Security forces.
Executions / Killings:
We have received several testimonies from family members of those killed, including those who
were killed while crossing into the Sri Lankan government held territory with white flags. Due to
space constraints, we are submitting the following testimonies:
a) A statement from the son of a White Flag victim Mr. Nadesan. Mr. Nadesan was the head of
the political section of the LTTE. His son's. Exibit: A1.
2) A statement from the wife of Col Ramesh. Col Ramesh was recently shown on Channel 4. In that
video statement he was seen being interrogated by the Sri Lankan security forces in an undisclosed
location. The Government now claims that he has been killed. Col Ramesh's wife's statement.
Exhibit: A2.
The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam also wants to bring to your attention, the desecration
and destruction of the graves in war cemeteries of the LTTE cadres. The destruction and desecration
of graves in war cemeteries violates International Humanitarian Laws. Following are some of the
relevant articles to that effect:
The Third Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War (1949) Art 120. states “…The
detaining authorities shall ensure that prisoners of war who have died in captivity are honorably
buried, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged, and that their graves
are respected, suitably maintained and marked so as to be found at any time…
…Responsibility for the care of these graves and for records of any subsequent moves of the
bodies shall rest on the Power controlling the territory, if a Party to the present Convention…
The fourth Geneva Convention (IV) on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (1949) Art.
130 states “The detaining authorities shall ensure that internees who die while interned are honorably
buried, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged and that their graves
are respected, properly maintained, and marked in such a way that they can always be recognized…
The Sri Lankan Government not only failed to properly maintain the graves in the war graves;
It intentionally destroyed and desecrated the graves in those graves.
There were several war graves in the Tamil areas; where thousands of LTTE members (both military and
political) were buried. These grave sites are where the family members of those buried regularly visited to
mourn and pray for their loved ones. By destroying these graves and graves, the family members of those
buried have been denied their right to mourn their loved ones. We received several testimonies from the
family members whose loved one's grave sites were destroyed and desecrated by the Sri Lankan Security
forces. Due to space constraints, we are submitting the following testimonies:
Exhibit: B1
Exhibit: B2
Exhibit: B3
BBC: Why Sri Lankan Tamils won't remember war dead this year?: Exhibit:
C1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11846369
During the final stages of the war more than 60,000 Tamils were killed by the use of heavy weapons
and artillery by the Sri Lankan armed forces- an army made up of 99% Sinhalese, and the Tamil
victims perished solely on account of their Tamil ethnicity in violation of article II (a) of the Genocide
Convention. During the final stages of war, hundreds of thousands of Tamils were deliberately
subjected to serious physical and mental harm in violation of Article II (b) of the Genocide
Convention. During the final stages of the war, by the systematic denial of the basic needs of food,
shelter, and medicine, the conditions were created for bringing about the Tamils’ physical destruction,
in whole or in part in violation of Article II (c) of the Genocide Convention. The intent of genocide can
be inferred from the disproportionate use of force. What happened in Vanni during the final stage was
an act of genocide.
We also believe that the desecration of the war memorials was also designed to destroy the identity
of the Tamil people.
Even though the Committee’s jurisdiction is limited during the final stages of war, it is respectfully
requested in order to understand the context of this act the Committee should take into
consideration the political history in the island of Sri Lanka.
What happened in Vanni was the continuation of the structural genocide which the Tamil nation
has been subjected to for the past 30 years.
Representatives of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam would like to request a confidential
meeting with you to show our additional testimonies, photographs (including mass graves) and to
facilitate meetings with family members of those victims. (Witnesses). Thank you.
Sincerely,
Deluxon Morris
Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam
TP: 0044 79400 20758 Email : warcrime@tgte.org
Exhibits:
A 1:
A statement from the son of a White Flag victim Mr. Nadesan. Mr. Nadesan was the head of
the political section of the LTTE. His son’s statement:
A 2: A statement from the wife of Col Ramesh. Col Ramesh was recently shown in Channel 4. In
that video he was seen interrogated by the Sri Lankan security forces in an undisclosed location. The
Government now claims that he has been killed. Col Ramesh's wife 's statement. Exhibit: A2.
Vanakam,
My name is Vathsala Devi I have three children. The eldest is a daughter 11 years called Meliha. The
second is a son called Prathban nine years old. The third one is a girl four and a half years old. My
husband is called Thurairajasingham born 1964 Sept 18th. He got involved with the LTTE in 1984.
He was given a higher post in the organisation. The name he was given by the LTTE is Ramesh. He
was given the position of Cornel. We were living in the open, because the war had escalated and the
territory we lived was under the occupation by the SLA (Srilankan army). As the army was occupying
our land we had to leave. I was a bit poorly and evacuated along with other civilians along with my
th
three children. We left on 28 April. I was forced to live in various places due to the conflict for
nearly one month. I was in contact with my husband all the time.
Q: Which year did you leave?
th
A: 2008 April 28 we left to Batticola in East. I had contact with my husband, but however the
authorities got to know that Cornel Ramesh’s family have left the zone (escaped). We couldn’t stay there
th
anymore and therefore left to South Africa. My Husband last spoke to me on 15 May 2008 for
B 2:
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Thibaharan
Contact details: (UK) *******
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Kajaluxmy Jeyatharan
Contact details: (UK) *******
*********
C 1:
BBC: Why Sri Lankan Tamils won't remember war dead this year?: Exhibit: C1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11846369
Around the world, Sri Lanka's diaspora Tamils are meeting to mark Maveerar Naal (Heroes' Day)
and remember those who died during the failed insurgency.
But back in the Indian Ocean island nation, many Tamils are either too scared of official retribution,
or too apathetic to mark the second 27 November commemoration since the rebels' defeat last year.
One such cemetery has been turned into a playground; another in Jaffna was converted into an army
camp.
“Start Quote
Destroying graves is unacceptable, those people who were buried there are humans”
Suresh Premachandiran, an MP from northern Jaffna, says his party, the Tamil National Alliance, has
tried in vain to stop the demolition of war graves.
"Destroying graves is unacceptable," he said. "Those people who were buried there are humans. They
fought for the Tamil people."
He continued: "Recently when some Tamil civilians lit lamps to mark a Hindu festival in Kilinochchi,
the local police thought they were trying to pay homage to the LTTE war dead and beat up them up." In
the past, large numbers of Tamils visited these war graves. In many places, cultural programmes would
also take place. But now they're not sure what to do.
"Those who lost their relatives would like to remember them," says Selva, a resident of Colombo, who
did not want his full name published. "But if they do any kind of public display - like garlanding the
photos of people in LTTE uniform, they will be arrested."
Sri Lanka's deputy high commissioner in the UK, P M Amza, defended his government's decision to
demolish war graves, labelling them a rebel propaganda tool.
Sam Krishna, media coordinator of the British Tamil Forum, said: "In addition to remembering those
who sacrificed their lives for the Tamil cause, we will use the occasion to focus on the war crimes."We
will once again press for an independent inquiry."
C2:
2) LankaSrinews.com: Sri Lanka Army obliterates war cemetery, erects military bases.
Exhibit: C3
http://www.lankasrinews.com/view.php?2b35QSX4b43z96ae4b43CWdce2bh3CS3cd3XlpG2e0d15Mv
Dce02l2DI0cd3sksBd0