Ilayathambi Tharsini

Infobox Person
name = Tharsini Ilayathamby


image_size = 100px
caption = Tharsini Ilayathamby
birth_date = 1985
birth_place = Jaffna, Sri Lanka
death_date = death date|2005|12|16|mf=y
death_place = Pungututheevu, Sri Lanka
occupation = Student
parents = Ilayathamby

Ilayathamby Tharsini also Tharsini Ilayathamby was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was allegedly raped and killed in her home town of Pungudutheevu on December 16 2005. cite web |url= http://www.achrweb.org/reports/saarcar2006/srilanka.htm#_Toc153776319
title= State of Human Rights in Sri Lank:2006 |date =2007-02-21 |format= |work=ACHR.org ] cite web |url= http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/spreport20.htm#_Toc131645390
title= UTHR Special report - 2006 |date =2007-02-22 |format= |work=UTHR.org ] [cite web |url= http://www.achrweb.org/reports/saarcar2006/SAARC-HRReport2006.pdf|title= ACHR SAARC report for 2006|date =2007-02-22 |format= |work=ACHR.org ]

The incident

On 16 December, 2005 Tharsini Ilayathamby was on her way to her aunt’s place. She was allegedly abducted by unknown men close to a Sri Lankan Navy post.

Her naked body was found the next day in an abandoned well near the Sri Lankan Navy camp at a place called Maduthuveli.

According to the post mortem report conducted at Jaffna Teaching Hospital, she was brutally raped before being strangled to death. Several injuries caused by fingernails and biting had been found on several parts of her body. One of her breasts had been severely bitten.

Reactions

After the body was found locals violently protested in front of the Navy camp. One person was injured in the subsequent shootings. The locals destroyed an administrative building as a result.cite web
url= http://www.hhr-srilanka.org/hhr/publications/beyond/Jan-June2006.pdf |title= Home for Human Rights report 2006 |date =2007-02-21 |format= |work=HHR-Srilanka.org] Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora groups also organized protest meetings in the UK. [cite web
url= http://www.pungudutivu.org/IlayathambyTharshini.asp|title= Tharsini protest meeting |date =2007-02-21 |format= |work=HHR-pungudutivu.org]

Human Rights groups such as UTHR initially reported that she may have been killed by the rebel LTTE operatives to discredit the government and create an environment of protest. [cite web
url= http://www.independentsl.com/cgi-bin/newsscript1.cgi?record=90|title= True story of Tharsini murder|date =2007-02-26 |format= |work=Independent SL] UTHR eventually retracted the statement that the victim had known the naval persons previously. Subsequent to her death, there were number of attacks on the Sri Lankan Navy. The rebel LTTE denied attacking the naval personnel. [cite web|url= http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/22/news/lanka.php|title=Sri Lanka on nerves |Date=2007-02-26|format= |work=International Herald Tribune] Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission ruled that such attacks were a violation of the Oslo sponsored ceasefire between between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. But number of websites that are known for their pro rebel stance reported that subsequent to the rape and murder, a front organization calling itself resurgence people’s force, widely believed to be a front of the rebel LTTE group claimed responsibility for attacks on the Sri Lankan Navy that lead to 15 deaths and another 15 being seriously injured. [cite web |url=http://www.tamilcanadian.com/page.php?cat=133&id=3671|title= Revenge for Rape and murder claimed |date =2007-02-21 |format= |work=Tamilcanadian.com ] [cite web |url=http://www.tamileelamnews.com/news/publish/tns_4854.shtml|title= Revenge for Rape and murder claimed |date =2007-02-21 |format= |work=TNS]

According to Tamilnet, Sri Lankan Tamil political parties such as the Tamil National Alliance and others requested that the Sri Lankan government take appropriate actions to protect civilian life. [cite web
url= http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16941|title= TNA statement|date =2007-02-26 |format= |work=Tamilnet]

Government investigation

International and local Human rights organizations such as the ACHR, Home for Human Rights and UTHR have requested a thorough investigation be done to apprehend the culprits. Currently the government is investigating the rape and murder.

ee also

*Krishanti Kumaraswamy
*Ida Carmelitta
*Sarathambal
*Murugesapillai Koneswary

References

External links

* [http://www.pearlaction.org/action-alerts/aa10.php Press release: Pearl:USA]

Further reading

* [http://news.amnesty.org/library/pdf/ASA370012002ENGLISH/$File/ASA3700102.pdf Rape in Custody in Sri Lanka:Amnesty International]