May 16. 2022
▪️Tamils, as per LK army orders, walked down the road, waving white flags, with children & elderly. Many were slaughtered on their way by the same army
▪️Sri Lankan drone footage of NFZ
US State Department indicated: a large group of children along w/ adults coming out w/ white flags. SLA started shooting at them & told them to go back to their bunkers. The sources reportedly saw soldiers throw grenades into two bunkers. They saw tanks going over bunkers and destroying everything inside. the Petrie Report states, In the second week of May, LTTE civilian political leaders were in contact… asking that they facilitate a surrender and be present when it took place. When the Chef de Cabinet arrived back in Colombo on 16 May, he indicated to Govern that he was willing to travel to Vanni & be present at the surrender. His offer was refused.
From Jordan, @PresRajapaksa declared victory on this day in 2009 & claimed “My government’s precise &well-coordinated humanitarian operation has so far succeeded in rescuing over 210K civilians”. Witnesses tell a different story...
Tamil Tigers called out to the Intl community once again to save innocent Tamil civilians: “The situation in Vanni has reached colossal proportions and what is happening there is unprecedented human carnage we r ready to do anything that is necessary to save the Tamil ppl trapped in the unrelenting war that is waged on them. The intl community now has to act w/ fairness & openness & should take full responsibility for ppl who r being targeted w/ no mercy/dignity
May 17.2009:
▪️ over the last 24 hours:
▪️ >3,000 killed
▪️ > 25,000 critically injured
▪️ Tamil Tigers repeatedly requested @ICRC, via Pathmanathan, to evacuate the injured through Vadduvaakal or Iraddaivaaikkaal. Still, there was no IC response, Col. Soosai, of Tamil Tigers' final communication to the media, which can be heard in this link
“last hrs r happening… a lot of people are dying, heavy fighting is going on.… in all areas, corpses r piling up… people r not being allowed to leave”. Unable to see the people they protected for decades being massacred, Tamil Tigers requested the international community to treat Tamils with dignity & respect.
"This battle has reached its bitter end. Against all odds, we have held back the advancing Sinhalese forces without help or support, except for the unending support of our people. It is our people who are dying now from bombs, shells, illness, and hunger...
We cannot permit any more harm to befall them. We remain with one last choice–to remove the last weak excuse of the enemy for killing our people. We have decided to silence our guns. Our only regrets are for the lives lost and that we could not hold out for longer...
We can no longer bear to see the innocent blood of our people being spilled. We need to do everything within our means to stop this carnage. If this means silencing our arms and entering a peace process, that is something that we have already agreed to."
On this day in 2009, @GotabayaR, then Defence Secretary, stated that there were no civilians remaining in the conflict zone. But according to leaked US embassy cable, Americans were told by @GGPonnambalam & Bishop of Mannar that as many as 100K civilians remain trapped.
Leaked US Embassy cable says LKA refused to accept mediated surrenders or evacuate the wounded. "Ambassador spoke to Presidential Advisor @basilrajapaksa to request access for @ICRC to evacuate dead &wounded. He refused, contending the GSL could manage on its own"
On this day, then-President @PresRajapaksa returns to LKA & he was greeted by many, including @MaithripalaS While 100Ks of Tamils were massacred/critically injured/hanging on to their lives, here are the leaders, politics, & ppl celebrating
TNA parliamentarian @TNAmediaoffice who was in touch with @basilrajapaksa informed him that there are 3K cadres (incl. the political wing) and 22,000 civilians who wanted to surrender as soon as possible. A detailed account can be found below:
While Sri Lanka celebrated their 'victory' (released pictures attached), thousands of Tamils were still being killed via bombing, shooting, and executing the surrendered. Those in displaced camps were also living under horrendous conditions.
May 18. 2009:
The last day of war of horrendous genocide unfolded on this day in 2009 & yet no Internation Community stepped in to help Tamils. It's been over 13 years, yet we are still waiting for accountability.
Many eyewitnesses indicated the rampage by the LK army in the No Fire Zone: throwing grenades into several civilian bunkers to army trucks running over injured people lying on the road. The UN Panel of Experts reports: “dead were strewn everywhere; wounded lay along the roadsides, begging 4 help from those still able to walk, but often not receiving it. Some had to be torn away from the bodies of their loved 1s. the smell of dead and dying was overwhelming” 1000s of Tamil Tigers, their families & other Tamil civilians who surrendered to Sri Lankan army were executed & many have forcibly disappeared, yet to know their whereabouts.
"A Sri Lankan soldier described to Channel 4 the grotesque humanitarian violations committed during the final days of the conflict. See a clip of his testimony below"
#NoFireZone documentary @Channel4News @Callum_Macrae provides, with evidence, footage of the execution of many surrendered including a child, of execution and war crimes during the final phase of the war.
Some of the executed civilians were:
▪️political wing leaders Balasingham Nadesan and Seevaratnam Puleedevan
▪️Balachandran Prabhakaran, the 12-year-old son of Prabhakaran
▪️Tamil TV presenter Isaipriya
There are many videos that have been released, captured by LK army on their phones, as they execute naked and tied up Tamils. Many laugh & joke as they shoot Tamils in the head. Yet no panel, no accountability. @UN @ICRC According to UN panel reports, rape and sexual violence against Tamil women AND men went underreported. Human Rights Watch reported one woman’s experience [Picture 2]Whereabouts of many of these women in the picture (& those who were not captured in pictures) are unknown till today - surrendered and taken for 'rehabilitation'.
Many Tamils who were able to leave the war zone ended up in camps. It was indicated that > 300,000 were in this camp & thought to be the largest displacement camp in the world. Many stayed in this camp for YEARS without basic necessities.
LK army did its best to cover up & hide war crimes committed yet the truth always prevails.
As they celebrated in sri lanka, Tamils in East were fighting to stay alive, Tamils in North cried behind doors, diaspora Tamils protested, screamed & begged Intl Community to help but none did. The face of these people & their cries will haunt us forever.
May is the month to grief. reflect. educate. our stories to others. TamilGenocide is part of the Tamil identity. We fight till we get the accountability we need!
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