Two of Sri Lanka's Foulest War Crimes

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Indian November 10, 2013 9:38 am (Pacific time)

Well to me the question is - were LTTE any less gruesome? The body of Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi was also stripped naked when killed. Better to be stripped naked by humans than a bomb!!!! Tamils should be crushed like roaches under a boot else they will destroy the whole fabric of SL and also India

What a disgusting comparative. You see a parallel between an assassination and murderous perverts raping young girls? What kind of sick and twisted logic is that anyway?

As for the case involving Gandhi I suggest the following:

'Unanswered Questions in Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case' - Thirumurugan Gandhi Special to Salem-News.com

Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, and the Academic Achievements of Assassins - Tim King Salem-News.com

tamilian February 27, 2013 12:13 pm (Pacific time)

gottabaya rajapakshe - first candidateto be raped

TAMILIAN February 27, 2013 11:51 am (Pacific time)

u r a not a buddhist country u r a rapist country better worship reproductive organs

TAMILIAN February 27, 2013 11:49 am (Pacific time)

to all srlankanks posted here u r not a buddhist country u r a rapist country better worship female and male sex organs rather than buddha punish LTTE if they have made mistake not civilians u people should be castrated for ur irrestible sex behaviour manners

TAMILIAN February 27, 2013 11:46 am (Pacific time)

i will say one thing,,for watever LTTE has done civilians cannt be punished. When u read the report by HRW i can say to those srilankans who had posted here,, u r not a buddisht country,, u r a rapist country and u better have uvula and penis as idols of worship rather having buddha. u dont have any mannerism ,,,always u need sex,,??? irrestible for u people and particularly ur army

Ks December 25, 2012 11:45 pm (Pacific time)

Im ready f*ck army

one who live on SL April 20, 2012 9:20 am (Pacific time)

begger are more respectable people than those who write the lies to earn some dollers

Himanshu March 17, 2012 6:37 am (Pacific time)

You should not shock to hear that LTTE as a rsrrotiet group because they are rsrrotiet. I want to say that you are covered with a myth. They are not reprsentatives off tamil people. LTTE is destroying all young life and young tamil generation by doing this war. They force children to join this war(I have practical experiences). All people suffer not because of government but of LLTE. Because of this rsrrotiet, lost so many valuable tamil and sinhala life. Prebakaran only think about his power. Can you guarante if prebakaran win this he won,t use his wepons to dominate people. At north east more than 300 000 sinhala and muslim people were displaced and their lands are occupied by LTTE. They have killed so many innocent sinhala and muslim people. Onnce near welikanda, LTTE killed all villagers in a sinhal village. They have killed prengant women and a 2 months child not even shooting but using axes(CUTING). More than 10 000 sinhala people have killed by LTTE. They do not want anything else but ruling power of north.(They already lost east) LTTEs first attack was dore appa one great tamil leader. They not only killed sinhala leaders but so many tamil leaders too. They killed any person who talk against them. People in north fear to talk aginst LTTE if they do so their families and life will go to heven as standing for truth. LTTE and their suppoters lie whloe world. They took advantages of some misleading politicain to gain their power.It doesn't mean all them are same. Solution for this problem is finsh all rsrrotiet and give political solution to tamil people(not to LTTE). I can remember once they kill about 60 buddhist monks at aranthalawa while traveling on a bus. I am dissapointing to mention them as rebels they are truely rsrrotiet,creatures. LTTE must wipe out from sri lanka. All foreign nation should help sri lankan army to finish this war. Any tamil people can go any where of country but not sinhala and muslim people. They can even set foot northen people. LTTE killed so many sinhala people while occuping norhern area.Still they are doing so by bomb blasting at other areas of the country. Tamil people at north suffer o poverty because of LTTE as they don't let goverment to devolop this areas. If they let they surely know not a single people stay with them. what they want is to let people to suffer and take advantage to join rsrrotiet.All must get together to wipe out LTTE and let all inocent tamil people to live free.Proud to be a sri lankan.Yours,Niranjan,(Totaly Sri lankan)

shan March 11, 2012 11:27 am (Pacific time)

Thanks for this article

Common sense February 29, 2012 7:34 am (Pacific time)

Tim,
This is my last response to you. Sadly, my personal impression is you are lost. You have been taken in for a ride by the Tamil Diaspora who still supports the LTTE. Reading your responses, I feel the ultimate goal of you and the LTTE Diaspora is to punish the Government and the leaders involved for wiping off terrorism from that country. Even that happens nothing is going to change for the Tamil people until legitimate negotiations without violence take root. Your vision for “autonomy in the form of Tamil Eelam” is doubtful to materialize specially with a minority of about 10%. If it happens the whole world will be in turmoil, every minority group asking for their own Elam. Imagine Elam of Hispaniola in Texas or Elam of India in south London! However, I respect your beliefs and continued attempts to support this terror group. My only request is condemn violence while doing so.

Tim King: I believe the figure is more like 18%. Yes, let us all hope and pray for an end to violence, sorry it came to this.

really?? February 28, 2012 8:44 pm (Pacific time)

dear common sense, Mr. king like many other western "journalists" has decided on his little story and has spent a lot of time collecting facts to support it. stop wasting your time trying to make him see reason.

Common sense February 28, 2012 5:03 pm (Pacific time)

Tim,
You are doing a disservice to the Tamil race. You not only lack knowledge of the real situation that prevailed in Sri Lanka, you by giving a voice to a ruthless terror group encourage them to continue in a violent path against the majority of the people of Sri Lanka.

Tim King: Look, there was a cease fire agreement in place when this happened and the government broke it, do you forget that part. Rajapaksa attacked the Tamils for the same reason Bush attacked Iraq; because of lingering hatred and because he could. As for doing a disservice to the Tamil race, I have to say that there is no story subject I have ever covered where so many people (Tamils) wrote to thank me for helping expose their tragedy, and while I get my share of hate mail also, I must say that many of the people who write to thank me via email are Sinhalese, these are the people who feel terrible for what happened and hold only the government accountable. Anyone who doubts the support only needs to read my previous articles, some have literally hundreds of comments, the majority appreciative and supportive. I have no ax to grind with people who accept responsibility for their mistakes and crimes. There is a saying in our newsroom that is repeated frequently, that is TJP, for Truth, Justice and Peace. That is the order, we must have truth and after that, justice can be assessed and doled out. Then, and only then, is peace possible. TJP's founder is our dear friend and fellow Salem-News.com writer, Ken O'Keefe, the famed Gaza activist, another former U.S. Marine.

This terror group never attempted to “establish peace and a degree of autonomy” at anytime prior, during or at the end of the 30 year bloody terror war.

Tim King: Their demands were not met, and Sri Lanka brought Indian forces to fight the LTTE rather than resolving a number of burning issues all centering around the idea ultimately, of preserving the Tamil culture and seeing equal rights, through allowing autonomy in the form of Tamil Eelam. In the end, what the LTTE did for 30 years and what the SLA did for 30 years, is all terrible, a long series of violent tragedy. However the final push to the north, which is what this is all about, has little to do with what happened in the years leading up to it, they are separate matters. I know you will not agree, but killing all of those civilians, it was so wrong, there is no way to represent it well from your side if the facts are on the table.

Only negotiation they had with the help of Norwegians (which every time ended abruptly) was later found to be for re-arming to begin unleashing the terror. From where do you get your information? They were never there to “protect the people of the north” as you say. Instead they killed every Tamil politician they considered a threat to them. They forcibly recruited young Tamil men, women and children destroying their future. Shoba portrayed by your article is a good example. They made these young fighters wear cyanide capsules around their necks to be swallowed in case they were caught by the Army. This what you say protect people?

Tim King: It was made exceedingly clear that poor Shoba was a media person, a dancer and entertainer. She had health issues and was never a fighter, but to state that is again, to honor fact, and there is so little from that on your side of the argument. I have read quite a bit it about the Tiger child soldiers, I know that the LTTE would visit schools and that the young people were very impressed by them, and they would sign up. Until the very end, this is how the young people came to be associated with the LTTE, from what I understand and have read. When I was 18 I was in the U.S. Marines and I had a 30-day window to work with my recruiter after basic training, he sent me to my high school to speak to the students while wearing my uniform. The age of impression is in school and I think most military groups do this. I know that after things became desperate, that the LTTE was taking every able bodied person they could and families hid their teenage sons and this is absolutely terrible. However necessity is the mother of invention and if the stupid government had simply given the Tamils equal rights, way back after independence in 1948, none of this would have happened.

What do you mean by “the Diaspora is a Tamil thing”? From where do you think the terror group found money to buy millions of Dollars worth of war machinery for 30 years? This money was all raised from the Tamil Diaspora in the West, some willingly and others under threat. From the beginning I have acknowledged the tragedy inflicted on the innocent civilians of both sides, but only as a result of the short sighted activity of this terror group. I request you not to be misinformed but condemn terror activity which will bring nothing but misery to all involved.

Tim King: Does it not all depends on which side of the fence you are standing on? The Tamils for three generations did not fight,they followed, quite ironically, the teachings of Gandhi; non-violent resistance, then when they did fight, they fought for keeps, and they killed a lot of people, many were innocent, however when you read the list in the chronology, it isn't as you say. The LTTE killed SLA soldiers, and Sinhalese attacked Tamil homes killing hundreds of people who had nothing to do with the combat; they were whipped into a fury by that monk you guys now want on your police commission,, anyone can read the history, you know about this incident, and I hope you don't excuse it. The end is simply that we are talking about separate things, we need to talk about '05 to '09..

Common sense February 28, 2012 1:26 pm (Pacific time)

Tim,
it is the LTTE Diaspora not the Tamil Diaspora. Majority of the Tamils do not support the LTTE. LTTE Diaspora is the group that financed this deadly war for 30 years which led to all this. You are so blinded not to know that. You haven't replied any of my questions. You do not have to keep repeating killings, rape, destruction etc. etc. as these are consequences of wars. That is why I say wars are dirty and try solving problems in non violent ways. Please concentrate your work on preventing terrorist’s wars. In this case the damages are already done and you can't do anything about it now.

Tim King: After trying for thirty years to establish peace and a degree of autonomy, the LTTE was finally formed to protect the people of the north. Thirty years of opportunity to fix things politically did not interest the Sinhala majority. The LTTE, when it was formed, returned the terror that the government provided to them, tit for tat. It is terrible to turn to violence, but more pathetic to not represent human beings who are suffering a tragedy. The Diaspora is a Tamil thing, the LTTE is simply a factor. If you want all Sri Lankans to be defined by the criminal acts of the SLA then keep it up, you know? I haven't done that, however you refuse to acknowledge the tragedy that swept over these people.

Common sense February 28, 2012 10:28 am (Pacific time)

Tim,
Have I implicated that journalist should not travel to conflict areas? Never, I say that it should be done legally to avoid undesirable out comes. It is not that I meant “…one more death in SL doesn't need to be explained” but her actions explained what happened. If you are genuinely concerned about innocent civilians and journalists being killed in terrorists wars you should promote and write demanding that terrorist fighters wear uniforms so that they can be distinguished from the civilians. Also, if you analyze unbiased, the “terrible acts of military groups” often result from their inability to tell apart terrorists from civilians. The soldiers themselves are humans and they are quick to react to protect their lives when unaware who and where their enemy is. This is one reason I condemn terrorist’s wars and encourage you to promote non-violent ways to resolve conflicts. People who are involved/promote in terror activity reading your articles get the impression that they can rely on you as a voice when things go bad. This encourages more groups to raise arms for their causes. Punishing Armies and governments for their activities seems to be your goal. My question is will that prevent future occurrences? If the LTTE Diaspora continues in the same violent path what would you suggest the Sri Lankan Government forces do?

Tim King: First, it is the Tamil Diaspora, let's keep it in context. Next, I have to assume you have not closely viewed SL's Killing Fields? It's so easy, all over the Internet. The SLA soldiers are laughing and encouraging each other to rape dead bodies, I mean it is sick. They aren't scared or threatened, they are simply getting off on the rape and destruction and that is wanton behavior from a culture cultivated to hate, just like in Israel.

sad February 28, 2012 7:08 am (Pacific time)

another mouthpiece of the eelam propaganda machine.

really?? February 28, 2012 6:14 am (Pacific time)

does this report look a tad biased to anyone??

Common sense February 27, 2012 5:03 pm (Pacific time)

I feel sad for both these “journalist” who left us. Let their souls rest in peace. However, I consider both these individuals’ needed to be smarter. What was Marie thinking when she did what she did in Sri Lanka? First she over stayed her visa in a foreign country then she disregarded the laws of the country (visiting an area without permission). Why did she do that? Is it because Sri Lanka is a third world country? Or she considers journalists are above the law? Unfortunately, we will never know. How about you, as a journalist do you consider yourself above the law? Thank god she only got injured in Sri Lanka. I feel Shoba was too young to understand the seriousness of what she was doing. She willingly worked for a prohibited (by the US too) terrorist organization. What was she thinking, to be the Barbara Walters of LTTE? I would blame the terror leaders for brain washing this beautiful young girl. Tim, let me beg you to use your journalistic talent to educate groups on perils of taking arms to solve problems. I do not need to remind you the old saying; one who live by the sword die by the sword.

Tim King: Of course that is true, but are you suggesting that, for example, journalists should never travel to Myanmar to expose the deeds of that military junta? What if India says it is illegal to travel to Kashmir where so much suffering takes place? I know you don't condone the outright attack by the SLA on Marie Colvin, but I sense a relief of sorts also that one more death in SL doesn't need to be explained. Shoba was born where she was born, with the blood that coursed through her veins. I do not want violence to ever occur, or social injustice. I also don't want terrible acts of military groups to take place without the proper recourse.

Arun February 26, 2012 9:39 am (Pacific time)

Tim I feel sorry for Mary van de Boer's comments, I wonder whether she has any human compassion. No civilized government will kill or commit mass murder of their own citizens. The terminology GENOCIDE is the perfect word for this unspeakable crime.

Tim King: Perfectly expressed Arun, thank you.

Mary van de Boer February 25, 2012 5:52 pm (Pacific time)

Tim, dod you get that dictionary? Do you admit it wasn't genocide? The reason civilians in the safe zone died, as the UN has explained numerous times, was because the Tamil Tigers used innocent Tamils as human shields. This is a fact which you continue to overlook. The Tigers moved their heavy artillery guns into these safe zones!

Tim King: Up to 160,000 human beings, possibly more, constitutes Genocide by any standard. The Tigers did things they should not do, but they were under a deadly attack by their own government. and most people in that scenario make less than perfect decisions. The Israelis love to kill Palestinian children and then turn around and claim they were 'human shields'. Sorry but the concept you bring forth is an insult to many people, many. And for the record I am not overlooking anything. The SLA had no right to attack anyone.

stephen February 25, 2012 12:14 pm (Pacific time)

To John Brown..it was not bush, it was his bosses, same with many presidents before him, and obama is the worst of them all..The handlers used him for a race card, for the "black" thing and how far we have come from slavery etc..its all a hoax..it isnt bush, sr, or jr. nor clinton nor obama..it is their owners..Try and go against the owners as JFK did and they will blow your head off on mainstream tv...Getting the point here? Have you seen what they have done to Ron Paul? If Ron Paul continues, they will kill him too, or threaten his family like they did Ross Perot. Period

Anonymous February 25, 2012 8:49 am (Pacific time)

This is all propaganda. All these pictures are old ones that have been cropped and have been re-circulated for years. The United States will always supply weapons, ammo and intelligence to the government until they wipe out these vile subhuman islamic demons. Death to all terrorists, and live long and prosper Christians, God's true and only children. Semper Fi, and kill them all (terrosists) in the middle east, but let's hurry and track the domestic terrorists. No mercy to these demons, wipe them out, their whole families. Peace and love to all Christians.

Editor: First, this story is about Buddhists and Hindus, with a small number of Christians in the mix, who are also victims. These photos are legitimate and they have influenced current decisions in the UN. This individual knows nothing at all about the Christian faith, the first rule of thumb is that Christians don't call for violence or blood, they turn the other cheek. This man is an imposter, a parade contestant, little more.

John Brown February 25, 2012 5:23 am (Pacific time)

Americans need to take notice, this is OUR former president George W Bush who arranged the chairs in the fatal positions. His aid allowed Rajapaksa to achieve the dreaded 'terrorist' designation for the LTTE and they were stripped from the bargaining table in the UN soon thereafter. Make this a subject with everyone you know, if this can happen in Sri Lanka, it can happen anywhere.

Mike Andro February 25, 2012 4:38 am (Pacific time)

Young Tamil mother,21 yrs old Sharmila Sathiyanathan and her 6 years old daughter Thilakshika has committed suicide by jumping in to a well in Sri Lanka due starvation and many rapes committed by Sri Lanka Army men. Shocking !! Ruthless Terror State run by War Criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa is colonizing the Tamil Homelands, putting chains on the Tamils and treating them like slaves. Tamils are imprisoned in open air prison by occupying Sinhala Only Army and Sinhala Only Police. The rapes of the defenseless war widows are done with total impunity and all the jobs in local area go to the Sinhalese from the South which lives the War Widows further vulnerable and destitute.

Senguttuvan February 25, 2012 1:02 am (Pacific time)

Starving 21 yrs Tamil woman and her baby -dead

Young Tamil mother,Sharmila Sathiyanathan and her 6 years old daughter Thilakshika has committed suicide by jumping in to a village water well killed her self in due starvation and many rapes committed by Sri Lanka Army men.

Every day 4 Tamil women commit suicide due to brutal rapes by Sri Lanka Army soldiers in North-East Sri Lanka.

Her husband was taken away into Sri Lanka Army custody in 2008. Sri Lanka Army promised her that her husband will return in few hours but he seems to vanished into thin air for nearly three years and never seen again. Her constant petitions to Rajapaksa Government central and local governments have been ignored .

Living alone with small 6 yrs old child, she was subjected to gruesome rapes and beatings by Sri Lanka Army soldiers. She was not able to complain to Sinhala only police as none of them speak Tamil. This poor Tamil woman had a horrific existence: living in constant fear , always hungry, sleeping on the bear ground in a flimsy tent . When Sri Lanka Army thugs raped her little baby in front of her, she forced to do this desperate act !!!

Tim King: These are the saddest stories on earth.

sinnan February 25, 2012 12:47 am (Pacific time)

Dear Tim,assingaleseask you about the horible history of ltte(for which you have apty answered whith a list),may i ask you (for the sake of context)whether you know the history of tamil struggle from1948 compleatly nonviolant which were always brought to hault by GOVERNMENTAL plus communal violances...

Tim King: Yes Sinnan I do and continue to learn more, I wrote about it recently: Sri Lanka's Independence Day- a Black Day for Tamil Eelam. Also I added a number of dates and incidents to the list accompanying this article, which take more into account, thank you.

Ravi Vedanayagam February 24, 2012 11:58 pm (Pacific time)

Sri Lanka Navy dressed in civilian clothes in the "white vans" at sea cut off Tamil fisherman's nose.

Rajapaksa is spreading his thuggery and dictatorship to Tamil Nadu. Rajapaksa ruthless regime is well known for for the death squads in "white vans".

Now there are Sri Lanka Navy "white vans" at the sea. Sri Lanka Navy dressed in civilian clothes attacked Tamil Nadu fishermen.

According to Manoharan, panchayat president of Akkaraipettai, the fishermen ventured into the sea on February 18 in a boat owned by Rajendran from Nagapattinam port. When they were engaged in deep-sea fishing southeast of Kodiakarai, Sri Lankan Navy military men dressed in civilian clothes came in six fast crafts, surrounded them and hurled petrol bombs at their boat.

They then jumped onto the boat of the fishermen and attacked them with sickles. Three among the eight – Vaiyapuri, Sakthivel and Vadivel – sustained severe injuries. Vaiyapuri’s nose was cut-off. Other five sustained cut injuries. The attackers snatched the catch, GPS instrument and other valuables and fled the spot.

Other TN fishermen, who were in the vicinity, rescued the injured and brought them to shore on Wednesday morning

http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/8-fishermen-injured-in-attack-by-Lankans/366091.html

Jeyam February 24, 2012 5:32 pm (Pacific time)

Tim,
Excellent reporting and we need more analytical journalist like you.

Tim King: Thank you Jeyam!

stephen February 24, 2012 12:11 pm (Pacific time)

meanwhile, back home, obama speech to to bring racial conflict, NDAA (killing anyone they want without a trial)..TSA feeling up your privates, and now on interstate freeways..Monsanto now owns obama, so does wall street..marines guarding opium fields in Afghanistan spreading cheap and potent herion thru out the world..invading Libya and arming al CIAda to do the dirtywork, flouride(poison) in our water, federalizing the police, GMO food sold at walmart without labels (more poison)...obama gave up obamacare not for Mc Donalds or GE...itsjust us common people. His wall street buddies are making a bundle while we die...they are the kings and we are nothing more than maggots in their eyes..people wake up to this eilte group that is causing havoc thru out the world for total world domination...wake..research Agenda 21 written by think tanks and the united nations...wake up!

Sinniah February 24, 2012 11:30 am (Pacific time)

He speaks the reality.It is not an easy task to defend these well known faults.Who knows how many such horrors that is why we need an impartial international inquary.

Mary van de boer February 24, 2012 10:35 am (Pacific time)

Ask Tim to get a dictionary and look up the word 'genocide'. It's callous and disrespectful to the millions who have perished in real genocides when the ignorant throw the word about. There was never a genocide in Sri Lanka. You wont find the UN or any reputable organisation making that claim - only little known publications and ill-informed journalist do. Oh, and Tim have you spoken to non-sinhalese Sri Lankans? Like the millions of Muslims and Burghers in Sri Lanka who fouight for the government in the war after the Tamil extremists tried to ethinically cleanse them in the 90s for a nazi-like Tamil-only homeland? Now, that's the closes thing to genocide in the island since the genocide perpetrated by Europeans (Dutch, Portugese and British colonist).

Tim King: I fully disagree, your tragedy or whichever one you refer to does not diminish the magnitude of this terrible years-long event. You want to turn this ethnic cleansing into a game and it is not one. It is not about competition, the only thing you are trying to do is spin propaganda. I hate what the Tamils did to the Muslims, the first person to ever educate me about the political struggle on this island nation is Muslim and I know that struggle well, However most Muslims were forced to flee and a terrible as that is, it does not even begin to compare to a government-orchestrated elimination of civilians who were killed in so many events, after making their way to so-called refugee safe zones. There is far too much evidence proving my point, and I do not minimize the Muslim ethnic cleansing, it was wrong and highly regrettable.

Harry Potter February 24, 2012 10:32 am (Pacific time)

well done mr Tim. like this female reporter, many tamil girls were gang raped,killed and disappeard forever. Those of western nations that trying to bring a resolution against sri lanka this week at UN for war crimes, were watching all this happend. beleiving sri lanka's stance that they were fighting terrorism,but in reallity what the sri lankan goverment and its mono ethnic military were doing is absolute ethnic cleansing. those of genocide servivors were locked up in camps,and many thousands vanished infront of their family members in there. this brutal racist sri lankan goverment and it's leader must be held accountable for what they did.

Latika Sivaraja February 24, 2012 10:04 am (Pacific time)

Thanks for your humanity, tireless help for enslaved people.

You are the angel who descended from heavens to wipe the my tears, to warm my broken heart

May God bless you , Mr. Tim King

Tim King: I think that is the kindest comment I ever read, thank you Latika.

Anonymous February 24, 2012 9:33 am (Pacific time)

Thank you for this concise breakdown of events. This is such a confusing subject that without those details it is hard to put into proper perspective. It is a terrible thing, the way humans rationalize their evil doings. But this isn't just about taking sides, justice doesn't know lines in the sand. "Nobody's right when everybody's wrong" isn't that the way the song goes?

Ramesh February 24, 2012 6:41 am (Pacific time)

Thanks for the article Tim. There is a typo in the first sentence.

EDITOR: Thank you Ramesh, it has been corrected.

Bharathi February 24, 2012 6:19 am (Pacific time)

Why there are no sequences of events on GOSL side? How about reporting GOSL aerial bombardments of churches after asking Tamil civilians to take refuge there, relentless aerial bombardments and artillery attacks on Tamil civilians, assassinations of journalists and political leaders of Tamils. This article is not impartial but one sided.

Bharathi: I always write about the Genocide, I am continually accused of not considering the other side of this issue, that is why I included this string of events, however you are right, and might add what you refer to, however I may run out of room trying to list them all...

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