By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The UN has recently invoked once again inquiries into a compromising and controversial video aired on British network news in August 2009. The footage depicted Sri Lankan security personnel committing extrajudicial executions of supposed members of the Tamil Tigers resistance organization. The graphic imagery shows the killing of a naked and bound man, and in the background eight dead bodies can be seen lying in a muddy field. The UN seeks an independent, impartial investigation into this disturbing footage.
Despite numerous requests to inspect the matter since the time of airing, the Sri Lankan government has adamantly stated that the video specifically manufactured by unknown authors to vilify and disgrace Sri Lankan security and government. However, the UN claims that the arguments the Sri Lankan government espoused in its defense video have been proven false. Sri Lanka, however, persists in discrediting the video and avoiding questions bearing upon it and similar human rights –related issues.
Despite the Sri Lankan government’s obstinacy in denying requests to inquire into authenticity of the execution footage, the UN continually presses to enter the country to investigate the matter along with the deaths of more than 7,000 other civilians within the first quarter of 2009. The Sri Lankan government only recently allowed hundreds of thousands Tamil ethnic minorities to return to their homes after an extended period of time in unsanitary refugee camps. The government claimed that it was necessary to put into practice an extensive screening process to identify and remove confirmed members of the Tamil Tigers remaining among the Tamil nationals. The government also claimed that it had to locate and detonate landmines which were possibly strewn about the areas surrounding the camps.
The Sri Lankan military essentially dismantled and defeated the Tamil Tigers in May 2009, putting an end to over forty years of bloodshed which has ravaged the island nation. However, residual complications from the seemingly tireless struggle continue to plague the civilians of Sri Lanka, which has resulted in myriad human rights issues. The government’s refusal to allow inquiry into the video represents only a single instance of a lack of cooperation on Sri Lanka’s part to resolve the issues affecting its citizens.
Scrutiny of the execution videos does not show any signs of additional manipulation, suggesting that the footage is indeed authentic. If so, this one occurrence leaves open the possibility of many more disturbing violations committed with or without judicial consent.
For more information, please see:
Al-Jazeera – UN official urges Sri Lanka inquiry – 08 January 2010
Associated Free Press – Sri Lanka faces new charges over war crimes – 07 January 2010
UN – Deeming Sri Lanka execution video authentic… – 07 January 2010
