In a shocking revelation the UN sources have reported the killing of 20,000 Tamil civilians in Sri Lankan military operations against LTTE. A London based paper "The Times" reports, "Aerial photographs, official documents, witness accounts and expert testimony present clear evidence of an atrocity that comes close to matching Srebrenica, Darfur and other massacres of civilians". The death toll may well cross beyond current estimates of 20,000 as no figure as been so far reliably authenticated. But everyone concurs with the heavy toll that visited the Tamil civilians in the wake of military operations. The pictures of the graves in the areas adjacent to no fire zone where around 10,000 civilians were trapped conclusively indicate high civilian casualties. What is even more shocking is that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's Chief of Staff Vijay Nambiar was aware of this huge figure yet Ban maintained silence on the issue during his tour to the battleground witnessing what he described as "appalling scenes". Contrary to the claims of the Sri Lankan authorities that the casualties were the result of shelling by LTTE the evidences so far available tell a different story. With the world's media and aid organizations kept well away from the fighting, the army launched a fierce barrage that began at the end of April and lasted about three weeks taking toll of around 1000 civilians everyday. Ironically, Sri Lanka was cleared of any wrongdoing by the UN Human Rights Council after winning the backing of countries including China, Egypt, India and Cuba.
The price of Sri Lankan military operation against LTTE had to be borne by Tamil civilians. Many times the numbers that perished are sheltered in relief camps in a very pitiable conditions and far more the number is still seeking safe refuge on their own in the absence of any government of international help. The war is over but there is little hope that Tamil problems would be addressed. The armed LTTE opposition has been crushed with iron hands but the Sri Lankan government has so far not signaled its determination to end ethnic divide on the island nation offering full citizenship status to the Tamils. The ethnic divide in Sri Lanka was deepened by the pursuance of discriminatory policies against the Tamils resulting in bloody conflicts spanning over decades. Now that the LTTE has been removed from the scene the international community has the responsibility to see that the longstanding reasonable demands of the Tamils are met in the context of UN Charter upholding the principles of equality, liberty and fraternity. While rehabilitation of the Tamil civilians is urgently needed with proper compensation for those killed in anti-LTTE military operations, the Sri Lankan leadership will be tested on international principles of peace and amity in the days to come.
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