Shenali D Waduge

Many have wondered where the figure of 40,000 emerged & why it has been extensively quoted by entities who were not even in Sri Lanka & in particular why the figure was included into the Darusman Report, a personally commissioned panel by the UNSG whose report was intentionally leaked & became the basis of legally questionable successive UNHRC Resolutions promoted by US & Allies within the UNHRC. The 40,000 figure not surrprisingly was quoted by this 3 member panel too. From where did this figure emerge? We need not look far. Wikileaks cable 08COLOMBO62_a provides the answer. Ironically, as per the cable despatched to the US State Dept on 14 January 2008 it was Mr.RW who had quoted 40,000 dead in January 2008 over 1 year before the LTTE was even defeated.  It was also on 14 January 2008 that the GoSL withdrew from the bogus cease fire agreement brokered by Norway & supported by India & signed between then PM RanilW & LTTE leader Prabakaran. 3 key incidents took place in one day! What is equally important is that at this time the Northern military offensive had not even commenced.

The cable sent by the US embassy in Colombo on 14 January 2008 was sent to the following:

Defense Intelligence Agency | France Paris | India Chennai | India New Delhi | Japan Tokyo | National Security Council | Norway Oslo | Secretary of State | Slovenia Ljubljana | U.S. Mission to European Union (formerly EC) (Brussels) | United Nations (Geneva) | United Nations (New York) | United States Pacific Command

Not even the ICRC knew the number of Tamil civilians LTTE had taken with them as they retreated.

The drama that unfolded was identical to what Serbia & its leader was accused of. Serbia was also accused of war crimes” Srebrenica genocide” (wonder whether there are annual memorials there too) & 40,000 dead. Milosevic was tainted a dictator” arrested, imprisoned & died in a prison cell & after 14 years of his demise a UN report exonerates him from war crimes. A man imprisoned, called a war criminal & 14 years after his death he is exonerated. Can we trust these war crimes accusers?

In Sri Lanka’s case the source for the 40,000 dead is none other than the then Opposition Leader & current President who quoted the figure over a year (January 2008) before the LTTE was defeated (May 2009).

What it also means is that the UN system, India, US Govt, the Co-Chairs & US allies & the diplomatic circles all knew the source of the 40,000 but they all continued the charade!

We do not know why the then PM gave this figure – but what we do know is that, the Darusman Panel to so many other individuals & organizations plucked this figure & used it to accuse the Sri Lanka Armed Forces of war crimes & genocide. But it was a figure quoted in 2008 – 1 1/2 years before the Armed Forces began its Northern offensive

The liberation of the East began in July 2006 after opening the Mavil Aru sluice gates on 28 July 2006 & ended on 10 July 2007. The offensive began because LTTE began attacking villages & the armed forces resulting in the armed forces proceeding to take on LTTE in Sampoor on 24 August 2006 which ended on 4 September 2006.

If the National Army are war criminals WHY WERE THEY NOT ACCUSED OF WAR CRIMES AND GENOCIDE during the July 2006 to July 2007 when the military was fighting against the LTTE to liberate the Eastern province? How come there were no figures of ‘KILLINGS” or MISSING” from the Eastern Province?

Why is it that all the allegations are only focused on Northern province? What’s the catch?

Interestingly, the Norwegian Refugee Council covering Eastern province conflict from April 2006 to April 2007 by Kavita Shukla claims the deaths to be 4000 (four thousand) throughout the period. She also highlighted 60,000 Muslim IDPs but no figures of deaths or missing?

It was on 5^th March 2007 that the operation to liberate the North commenced.

If as per Kavita Shukla the deaths in the East numbered 4000 —- is it an intentional error that the then Opposition Leader added a zero to make it 40000 deaths in the North, which NONE of the Co-Chairs or ambassadors corrected or sought clarification while US envoy Blake borrowed this fake figure & quoted it to the US Congressional Hearing Committee. He must be asked to present his evidence too!

The estimated deaths in the North conflict was 7721 as per UN Country Team & 7400 GoSL survey, 7896 dead as per survey by Tamil teachers.

Let us not forget that this figure of deaths has to be compared with the 297,853 Tamil civilians that the Sri Lankan Armed Forces saved from LTTE.

Those making the allegations must answer as to why they did not raise any war crimes” genocide” charges against the Sri Lankan Forces when the East was liberated from LTTE & why they allegations are only for the North?

There are no mass graves but there are plenty of efforts to pluck any grave & muster media drama to somehow justify a figure that has been battered to unfairly tarnish the image of the national army of Sri Lanka.

There are no skeletons – the present attempt use grave site in Kokkuthudai to showcase the dead” has also proved futile as the skeletons of the 16 dead were those buried in 1996.

But the wonderful thing about lies is that to continue a lie, the lies have to keep piling & the more the lies pile up the more ridiculous the allegations become!

However as responsible entities, the diplomats, the UN system & foreign governments must stop this witch hunt against the Sri Lanka Armed Forces & come to terms with reality & stop attempting to ridicule a national army with lies & without any evidence except hyped up media drama.

https://search.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08COLOMBO62_a.html

https://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/Session2/LK/IDMC_LKA_UPR_S2_2008anx_%20Attachment.pdf

Shenali D Waduge