The Government of Sri Lanka announces a complete victory against the LTTE. Its military forces recaptured all remaining LTTE controlled territories in the Northern Province, including notably Killinochchi (2 January), the Elephant Pass (9 January) and the ultimately the entire district of Mullaitivu (18 May). The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called for an international war crimes inquiry, saying she believed that both sides might be guilty of war crimes. The Tigers are accused of using civilians as human shields and those who fled the war have testified that rebel commanders fired on them to stop them escaping, killing many.
UN and human rights organisations reported substantial civilian casualties and large-scale displacement, describing the situation as an “unfolding humanitarian catastrophe”. Sri Lanka also came under severe criticism for not allowing international media to report from the conflict zone.
Quotations
“Today we finished the work handed to us by the president to liberate the country from the LTTE,” General Sarath Fonseka, state television broadcast, 18 May 2009.
“This battle has reached its bitter end. We have decided to silence our guns,” Selvarasa Pathmanathan, LTTE spokesman, 17 May, 2009.
“Our forces have recorded another historic victory. That is the complete dislodging of the Tigers from Elephant Pass and the security forces establishing their authority there. … I need not explain to you that the A-9 route is symbolic of the unity that exists between the north and the south of our country. The LTTE obtained several million rupees from the fraudulent taxes they imposed,” President Rajapakse.
“The fundamental problem is these people have to be allowed to leave. It’s very important that the continuation of the fighting not be allowed to cause an escalation of the suffering for the Tamil people of that region,” Richard Boucher, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State.
“Certain actions being undertaken by the Sri Lankan military and by the [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] may constitute violations of international human rights and humanitarian law,” Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Sources of humanitarian and human rights situation
A Profile of Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues in the Vanni and Vavuniya, Centre for Policy Alternatives, 20 March 2009; ‘500 killed’ due to medicine shortage, BBC Sinhala, 17 March 2009; Sri Lanka: Urgently Evacuate Civilians, Human Rights Watch, 4 March 2009; Grim scenes at Sri Lankan camps, Channel 4, 5 May 2009.
Sources
Army ‘takes key Sri Lanka pass’, BBC, 9 January 2009; Lankan forces capture strategic Elephant pass from LTTE, The Hindu, 9 January 2009; Sri Lankan troops seize key Elephant Pass, Reuters, 9 January 2009; Lankan army capture key junction town near Kilinochchi, The Times of India, 12 December 2008; Many dead in Sri Lanka, says UN, BBC, 6 March 2009.
Related events
Capture of Thoppigala
First elections in East for 14 years
Killinochchi recaptured
Prabhakaran and other Tiger leaders killed
Sri Lanka succeeds in Human Rights Council resolution
Related feature
Feature: Historical roots of conflict in Sri Lanka
