Mahinda Gunasekera

By E-mail
84 Tambrook Drive
Agincourt, Ontario
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February 26, 2013
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Editor
Toronto Star
1 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5E 1E6

Dear Editor,

Human Rights Watch Report Concerning Alleged Rape In Sri Lanka

I wish to refer to the article written by Olivia Ward on the subject published in your newspaper oftoday’s edition, and wish to point out that this is one more report released by yet another westernfunded international rights group just prior to the UNHRC sessions due to commence in March 2013 to build up adverse publicity against Sri Lanka whose actions relating to the defeat of the ruthlessTamil Tiger terrorists in May 2009 and the aftermath is being reviewed by the UN Human Rights Body.It is a 140 page report prepared by HRW in respect of 75 alleged rapes by Sri Lanka’s Security Forces over a period of six years from 2006 to 2012.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This report too does not serve much purpose as theHigh Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Canada has pointed out that it lacks names of victims, dates andplaces where the alleged rapes are said to have taken place for the authorities to investigate as to theveracity of these tales in order to bring charges against the offenders if any.

Out of the 75 cases taken up by HRW, according to Shenali Waduge a recognized investigative journalistin Sri Lanka, just 3 cases dealing with a 31 year female said to have been taken to the Criminal InvestigationDepartment (CID) in November 2011, a 23 year old male who was allegedly stripped and beaten in August 2012 and made to confess his links to the Tamil Tigers, and a third young male who surrendered in May2009 said to have been subjected to torture – have some data for follow up action, whilst the rest are vague with no specifics to carry out an investigation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Even in these three cases, the female victim cannot describe the rapists, whilst the two male victims should provide some description of the assailants in order to deal with their complaints.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Some doubt is cast on the accusations made by the third victim, as the surrenderingTamil Tiger cadres were enrolled in a rehabilitation program prior to their release to society and could nothave had the opportunity to travel overseas to meet with HRW officials.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  As ICRC is given access to those taken in for questioning by the CID, HRW should have ICRC confirm that they knew of the questioning sothat it would be added proof of her being in the custody of the CID.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Strangely, the first and third cases were not taken up in Geneva in 2012 nor featured in the Channel 4 videos with their faces blurred leaving room to doubt these narratives.

These 75 alleged cases in a six year period yet to be proven are presented as being “widespread” use of rape and torture in Sri Lanka by HRW, whereas the 295,000 displaced Tamil civilians used as a human shield by the Tamil Tigers who were rescued by Sri Lanka’s forces nor the 11,700 former Tiger combatants that surrendered,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  most of whom have been reintegrated into society, have not made any accusation of rape, sexual offence orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  torture against a single soldier todate.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

If we are to go back to HRW’s report titled ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Living in Fear ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Child Soldiers and the Tamil Tigers in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  dated January 29, 2004, you will find the following quote ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Throughout 2003 thousands of children were deployed as combatants, to commit abuses against civilians, as sex slaves, forced laborerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s, messengers, informants and servants in continuing and newly erupting conflicts. Children were usually used to perform multiple roles, and girls in particular often acted as combatants as well as being sexually exploitedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by the Tamil Tigers who forcibly conscripted them. The alleged victims in the HRW report of 2013 were under the complete control of the Tamil Tigers who exploited their labour to build defensive earthen bunds, dig ditches, forced combat duty and even used them as a human shield.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Tamil Tigers could well have subjected them to torture and rape, which they are now blaming on the Sri Lankan forces at the bidding of the Tamil
Tiger supporters within the Tamil diaspora, which is leading a campaign to demonize Sri Lanka and call for international strictures against the island nation which defeated their separatist crusaders burying their dream of a second homeland called “Eelam” in the north and eastƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of Sri Lanka in addition to their homeland of Tamilnadu in South India.

Yours truly,

Mahinda Gunasekera