Evidence Found of SRI LANKA WAR CRIMES Security Forces Responsible GOVERNMENT COVER UP Sri Lankan security forces were responsible for the ''vast majority'' of alleged war crimes during the final months of its bloody civil war, and may have systematically destroyed mass burial sites of civilians in an apparent effort to destroy evidence, a new report has found. The major new study examines allegations of the deliberate and indiscriminate shelling of civilians corralled into no-fire zones by the Sri Lankan government. Tens of thousands of civilians are believed to have perished. In addition, the report by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre's [PIAC] international crimes evidence project investigates the alleged assassination of surrendering Tamil Tigers figures, including the 12-year-old son of its commander, Balachandran Prabhakaran. The rape and torture of civilians and the alleged shelling of a hospital and refusal to distribute food and medicines to civilians were also probed, along with the alleged use of civilians as human shields and child soldiers by the rebel Tamil Tigers, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In all cases, the report finds there is credible evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity and urges the UN to formally investigate the allegations after two UN resolutions for the Sri Lankan government to address them led to little action. ''Although violations were committed by both sides, the evidentiary material indicates that members of the Sri Lankan security forces perpetrated the vast majority of alleged crimes during the investigation period [September 2008 to May 2009],'' it said. Sri Lanka's government, which routed the Tamil Tigers, flatly denies any wrong-doing and is resisting an international investigation likely to be put forward as a resolution by the US to the UN Human Rights Council next month. An investigation could ensnare some of Sri Lanka's most senior government and military officials, and lead to prosecutions. The report, titled Island of Impunity? and released on Wednesday, uses forensic analysis of photographs, satellite imagery, independent military analysts and new witness accounts to probe the litany of well-aired allegations. In a disturbing new development, it spoke to three different witnesses involved in the registration and burial of dead civilians. One of the witnesses alleges that the Sri Lankan security forces went back to the burial sites after the conflict concluded and systematically destroyed human remains. The US is expected to recommend formal investigation by the UN but whether Australia will co-sponsor or support any resolution remains unclear. Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop did not respond to questions before deadline. The Australian government has close ties with the Sri Lankan government, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott giving two patrol boats to its navy to intercept asylum seekers and refusing to criticise its human rights record, praising it for bringing ''more freedom and more prosperity'' at a Commonwealth leaders' meeting in Colombo in November. At the same meeting, British Prime Minister David Cameron demanded an international investigation into the alleged war crimes. One of these eyewitnesses, an army officer, accuses Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa - the president's brother - of ordering Brigadier Shavendra Silva to execute Tamil rebel leaders, whose safe surrender had been guaranteed by the president. The other new witness, who was also operating with Brigadier Shavendra Silva's 58 Division on the front line during the final assault, claims the Brigadier was ordered by the defence secretary "to finish the job by whatever means necessary."'Licence to kill' He said this was interpreted by the soldiers as a licence to kill. He described how he had watched as Sri Lankan forces shot dead unarmed Tamil women and children. It is the first time this allegation has been made. The war was won by Sri Lankan government soldiers two years ago. The rebel leadership was virtually wiped out. They shot people at random. Stabbed people. Raped them. Cut out their tongues, cut women's breasts off. I saw people soaked in blood.- 'Fernando' As the army closed in, around 130,000 Tamil civilians had been trapped on an ever-shrinking shard of land on the Tamil Tigers rebels genocide "human rights" "sri lanka" assault "war crimes" Tamil raped stabbed cut tongues "abc news" "cbs news" "ap news" "nbc news" "guardian news" "telegraph news" "bbc news" "wall street digital" "rt news" "breaking news" "world news" "global news" "latest news" "scientific news" "us politics" "24 hour news" "apocalypse news" politics un "civil war" north-east of the island alongside the besieged rebel fighters, who are accused of using them as human shields. The Sri Lankan president said no civilians were killed by the army during the final assault.

• published: 05 Feb 2014
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