UN received Information from Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam on Sri Lanka War Crimes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Staten Island, New York, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) December 18, 2010 -- The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) sent a memorandum to the United Nations advisory panel on investigating War Crimes in Sri Lanka. It detailed grave abuses committed by the Sri Lankan government against the Tamil ethnic group. This UN panel – Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka - was formed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, after approximately 60,000 Tamils were killed by Sri Lanka Security Forces during the final months of the war that ended in May 2009.

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) is a democratically elected body of the Tamil diaspora. The TGTE held elections in 12 countries, adopted a Constitution, and formed a government consisting of a Prime Minister, Speaker and a 10 member Cabinet. The Ministry for investigation of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity compiled the memo, after collecting information from victims and family members who lost their loved ones.

TGTE received several testimonies from family members of those killed, including those who were killed while surrendering and crossing into the Sri Lankan government held territory with white flags. The testimony from the son of a white flag victim Mr. Nadesan, was also included in TGTE’s submission to the UN. Mr. Nadesan was the head of the political wing of the LTTE and his son’s testimony gave inside information on the final moments of the surrender. Another testimony is from the wife of Col Ramesh. Col Ramesh was recently shown on TV being interrogated by Sri Lankan soldiers in an undisclosed location. The Sri Lanka government earlier announced that Col Ramesh was killed in battle.

TGTE submission also gives detail of the desecration and destruction war cemeteries, where LTTE members were buried. The destruction and desecration of war cemeteries violates International Humanitarian laws and TGTE urges the UN panel to look into this violation as well. The memo also included statements from family members whose loved ones were buried in those cemeteries.

The TGTE memorandum to the UN panel also presents information that shows that abuses committed by the Sri Lankan government constitute acts of genocide. The TGTE also urged the UN panel to understand the abuses in the final months of the war in the context of the political history in the island of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan army is made up of 99% Sinhalese and the victims are from the Tamil ethnicity. “What happened in Vanni was the continuation of the structural genocide which the Tamil nation has been subjected to for the past 30 years” said the memo.

Note: Attached, please find the TGTE memo sent to the UN.

Contact Deluxon Morris 0044 7940020758 warcrime@tgte.org

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