Expressing Deep Concerns about Tamils in Northern Sri Lanka

To:  The Foreign Minister, Canberra, Australia

As a Medical Practitioner and a member of the Australian Tamil community, I wish to express my deep concern regarding the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the North-East of Sri Lanka. Despite recent reassurances from the Sri Lankan government, there were over 25,000 civilians killed and many more thousands injured in the recent war in Vanni region. This is on a background of months of atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan military, which includes the bombing of homes, orphanages, hospitals, schools, and places of worship, the use of cluster and phosphorous bombs and chemical weapons. This was exposed by the recent release of satellite photos by the United Nations and is described in the news story (please refer page 2). The government was also blocking the supply of food and medical aid into the safe zone resulting in mass starvation during the war. The Sri Lankan government deliberately gave false statistics about the Tamils trapped in the Vanni region and supplied only little food and medicine to the conflict zone.
Atrocities perpetrated against the Tamil civilians also extend to those who fled the immediate conflict zone. About 300,000 civilians who fled into internally displaced (IDP) Detention camps are now subject to abduction, torture, rape, killings and the lack of food and medical supplies. This was reported on by Channel 4 News, in England, who used hidden cameras to gain rare footage from inside barbed-wire lined detention camps (Please refer page 2 for more attachments and information).
The Sri Lankan government had forced all media and international non-governmental organisations to leave the conflict zone, ensuring that there are no neutral observers to report on the atrocities committed by the military. Now the Sri lankan Government is forcing all media and imposed severe restrictions on UN and the international NGO’s who are serving for injured and malnourished internally displaced Tamils in Northern Sri Lanka. Therefore the world does not see the real situation behind the barb-wired detention camps (please refer the stories and sites in page 2).
As Tamil Australians with Sri Lankan background, we are very much concerned about our Tamil people who are going through systematic torture and hardships. We, as Australian doctors, are keen help and contribute to the medical needs for the injured and displaced Tamil people. So far we have been unable to do so because of the safety reasons and reluctance from Sri Lankan Government to allow outside help.
In this context, I humbly request that you please:
1. An unrestricted access to international NGO’s to all the detention camps in the north and East of Sri Lanka in order to provide medical and food aid to the displaced Tamil civilians.
2. Compel the Sri Lankan government to allow the presence of international monitors / observers and media to the detention camps and monitor the resettlement of Tamils to their original habitats and restoration of their needs of livelihood.
3. Take steps to ensure that displaced Tamil civilians of Vanni freedom to go where they wish rather than compelling them to be in the detention camps.
4. As Australian Tamil Doctors, we request access to serve our people for their medical needs.
The relevant Websites and stories

Atrocities and Crisis in Northern Sri Lanka

1. UN images show Sri Lanka damage
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/8028863.stm
2. Sri Lanka admits bombing safe haven http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/02/sri-lanka-bombs-safe-haven
3. Sri Lanka Bombs Safe zone - Alja Zeera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqC8Bcoym5Q&feature=popular
4. 'Sri Lankan army hits hospital'
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/sri+lankan+army+hits+hospital/3121567
5. Trapped civilians in Sri Lanka are facing starvation
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/8017843.stm


Crisis in the detention camps (IDPs)

1. Channel 4 News http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/grim+scenes+at+sri+lankan+camps+/3126257
2. 'Regular rapes, killings, degrading interrogations in internment camps'
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=29085
3. Sri Lanka eyewitness: More refugees are arriving – and there's not enough shelter http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/sri-lanka-eyewitness-more-refugees-are-arriving-ndash-and-theres-not-enough-shelter-1675196.html
4. Barbed wire villages raise fears of refugee concentration camps
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5721635.ece
5. Tamil children 'being abducted'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8060564.stm


Ban on Media and Severe Restrictions on International NGO’s:

1. How I was barred from reporting Tamil Tiger conflict. Jeremy Page http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6112835.ece
2. Tamils have nowhere to turn - Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/07/srilanka-protest
3. Waging war in silence http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/02/press-freedom-srilanka
4. Violence Silences Voices of Sri Lankan Journalists. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/world/asia/05lanka.html?ref=asia
5. Sri Lanka crisis deepens as Red Cross suspends aid
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6324678.ece
6. Red Cross forced to suspend aid to civilians in Sri Lankan former war zone
Sri Lankan government blocks access to camps in which thousands could face two years behind razor wire
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/20/red-cross-unrestricted-access-sri-lanka
7. "Sri Lanka on brink of catastrophe as UN aid blocked"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6322658.ece





In this context, I humbly request that you please:
1. An unrestricted access to international NGO’s to all the detention camps in the north and East of Sri Lanka in order to provide medical and food aid to the displaced Tamil civilians.
2. Compel the Sri Lankan government to allow the presence of international monitors / observers and media to the detention camps and monitor the resettlement of Tamils to their original habitats and restoration of their needs of livelihood.
3. Take steps to ensure that displaced Tamil civilians of Vanni freedom to go where they wish rather than compelling them to be in the detention camps.
4. As Australian Tamil Doctors, we request access to serve our people for their medical needs.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Expressing Deep Concerns about Tamils in Northern Sri Lanka Petition to The Foreign Minister, Canberra, Australia was created by Concerned Tamil Health Professionals of Australia and written by Ponmylnathan Ketheeswaran (sseelan@optusnet.com.au).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.