Human rights in Sri Lanka

Major human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch,

The LTTE committed massacres in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. The number of civilians massacred were as high as 144 (Anuradhapura massacre). Some of the major attacks resulting in civilian deaths include the Kebithigollewa massacre, the Gonagala massacre (54 dead), the Dehiwala train bombing (56 dead), [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/51435.stm | title= Timeline of the Tamil conflict | |date=September 4, 2000 | publisher =BBC News ] the Palliyagodella massacre (109 dead) and the bombing of Sri Lanka's Central Bank (102 dead). Further a claymore antipersonnel mine attack by the LTTE on June 15, 2006 on a bus carrying 140 civilians killed 68 people including 15 children, and injured 60 others. [cite web|url=http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=June&x=20060615115032ndyblehs0.351742&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html | title=United States Condemns Terrorist Attack on Sri Lankan Bus | publisher =US State Department ]

Abuses by other groups

During the 1980s, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna was regularly accused of arbitrary attacks on civilians during its uprising of that period.Fact|date=August 2007

Further, the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), an armed organization led by Colonel Karuna, has been accused by many human rights and non-governmental organizations of recruiting children, torture, assassinations and engaging in extortion in its war against the LTTE.Citation | title =Sri Lanka | journal =Human Rights Watch | volume = | issue = | date =August 9, 2007 | year =2007 | url =http://hrw.org/englishwr2k7/docs/2007/01/11/slanka14837.htm] Citation | title =Complicit in Crime: State Collusion in Abductions and Child Recruitment by the Karuna Group | journal =Human Rights Watch | volume =19 | issue = | date =January 2007 | year =2007 | url =http://www.hrw.org/reports/2007/srilanka0107/] Citation | title =Sri Lanka: Armed groups infiltrating refugee camps | journal =Amnesty International | volume = | issue = | date =August 9, 2007 | year =2007 | url =http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGASA370072007] The TMVP was also involved in kidnappings for ransom of wealthy, predominantly Tamil, businessmen to raise money in Colombo and other towns. Some businessmen were killed because their family could not pay the ransom.Citation | title =Impunity reigns | journal =Human Rights Watch | volume = | issue =1(C) | date =August 9, 2007 | year =2007 | url =http://hrw.org/reports/2007/srilanka0807/1.htm#_Toc173322236] The TMVP is believed to be working with the Sri Lankan Army. [ [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/01/24/slanka15141.htm Government Complicit in Forced Recruitment of Young Tamils] ] [ [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/04/16/slanka15719.htm Sri Lanka: Letter to Pope Benedict XVI on the Situation In Sri Lanka] ] [ [http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/jun2006/sril-j14.shtml SLMM report exposes Sri Lankan military’s complicity in violence and murder] ] [ [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/9b33d65b8650481ae94420ff494e8c96.htm Sri Lanka: Karuna Group and LTTE Continue Abducting and Recruiting Children] ]

See also

* Allegations of state terrorism in Sri Lanka
* Black July
* List of attacks attributed to the LTTE
* Military use of children in Sri Lanka
* Sri Lankan Civil War

References and further reading

Books

Websites

* [http://www.hhr-srilanka.org/hhr/ Home for Human Rights]
* [http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=asia&c=slanka Human Rights Watch]
* [http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/lka-summary-eng Amnesty International]
* [http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/161/ Freedom of expression in Sr Lanka] - IFEX
* [http://www.i-hr.org/ Intellectuals for Human Rights]

* [http://www.srilankahr.net/ information relating to human rights situation in Sri Lanka]
* [http://www.pact.lk Peace and Conflict Timeline (PACT)]