Tamil Youth Organisation of Australia wishes to bring to your attention the murder of 17 Tamil civilians caused by a Sri Lankan Army claymore attack on Friday May 23 2008.Although the Sri Lankan forces have denied involvement in the blast, Reuters reported on 23/05/08 that a during an Sri Lankan Army ambush in Tamil-Tiger a controlled area, a roadside bomb part of a deep penetration unit killed 17 civilians.

Two days ago, the United Nations voted out Sri Lanka from the Human Rights Council, sending a strong message to the President of Sri Lanka who, in January 2008, had withdrawn from a Norwegian brokered cease-fire agreement and entered into a military path 'to obtain peace'.

Sri Lanka was ranked below Zimbabwe in the Global Peace Index this year. Between 2006 and 2007, over 1500 people were reported missing, with the victims being "primarily young ethnic Tamil men who 'disappeared' in the country's embattled north and east, but also in the capital Colombo." [Human Rights Watch, 05/05/08] "In the face of this crisis, the Sri Lankan government has failed to investigate seriously and prosecute those responsible. It has publicly labelled senior UN officials as 'LTTE supporters' and 'terrorists' because they highlighted 'disappearances' or other rights violations. To date not a single member of the security forces has been held to account for a 'disappearance' over the past two years." [Human Rights Watch, 05/05/08]

On 20 April, "A roadside bomb in Sri Lanka said to have been planted by government soldiers in rebel territory killed Father M X Karunaratnam, a Catholic priest and campaigner for the rights of Tamils." [AP, 21/04/08]. On 14 March 2007, a mutilated torso found in a military sand bag at Pungkudutheevu seawas confirmed as belonging to the disappeared Catholic priest, Rev Fr. Thiruchchelvan Jim Brown, who had gone missing on 20 August 2006 after being interrogated by the Sri Lankan army at an army checkpoint in Allaipiddy, Sri Lanka.

Earlier in April, the Sri Lankan military attacked a Catholic Church in the Madu District. The church, considered amongst the holiest by pilgrims, housed thousands of internally displaced people and despite being situated in a declared no war zone, it has come under continual attack by the Sri Lankan military. Due to the continued assault of the Madu church, the refugees it housed and the reverend priests and sisters of the church were forced to flee with statue of Virgin Mary, which has now been transported elsewhere. Later that month, the "Sri Lankan war planes bombed a Roman Catholic church compound inside rebel-held territory, killing a man and wounding two children." [AFP, 22/04/08]

Keith Noyahr, a deputy editor and defence analyst with the English-language weekly The Nation, who had been critical of high-ranking military officers and the government's approach to and conduct of the war, was abducted two nights ago, severely beaten and dropped off near his residence early Friday. The Free Media Movement, a Sri Lanka media rights group condemned the abduction and assault of a senior journalist, alleging it was motivated by his criticism of the government's war against Tamil Tiger rebels. "This is not just a violation of the freedom of expression and another significant blow to media freedom?It proves, as if more proof was needed, that Sri Lanka is very far from a country that protects fundamental rights," the rights group said, implying that it believed the Sri Lankan state was behind the abduction. The defence ministry denied the accusations. 
Amnesty claims most of the victims are Tamil journalists working in the island's embattled north and east with those responsible not being punished by the government. [AFP, 23/05/08]

Additional pressure needs to be placed on the Sri Lankan Government, which continues its human rights atrocities with impunity, to cease a military approach and explore a political solution to permanent peace in the island. We appeal to you to assist us in urging the Australian Government to place this much needed pressure.

Tamil Youth Organisation, Australia