| Sri Lanka (Tamil) : Intensifying violence target aid workers - TRO Trinco Office Attacked |
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Intensifying violence in Sri Lanka, due to current president Mahinda Rajapakse’s militarised approach to solve the tamil ethnic issue has, targeting the aid workers too. Many Human rights organisations and nordic peace monitors have recently accused Sri Lankan government for its alleged involvement in execution-style killing of 17 french aid workers. American born, Arjunan Ethirveerasingam, volunteering for a major aid organisation in Sri Lanka has sent the following SOS call to the world to guarantee the safety and security of humanitarian relief workers during this time of conflict. Full text of the press release follows,
The TRO Trincomalee Office was attacked at 10:00 PM on Saturday 6 January 2007. The attackers arrived in a 3 wheeler auto and a van. The security guard was tied up with rope and assaulted. The attackers, who were speaking both Sinhala and Tamil, then proceeded to ransack the office. Documents were burned and office equipment and furniture destroyed. The few computers that had not been taken by the Police during the Friday 5 January 2007 raid of the office were stolen by the attackers as was a DVD player, fax machine, photocopier, and telephones. TRO has reported the attack to the Trincomalee Police who stated they would visit the Office to take statements and photographs but have not arrived yet. TRO requests that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) guarantee the safety and security of humanitarian relief workers during this time of conflict. Security for the TRO offices in the GoSL controlled areas is the responsibility of the GoSL of Police and security forces. The GoSL has consistently failed to provide any such security and has failed to investigate and charge any persons in the 20 attacks on TRO offices or TRO personnel in the past 2 years. ATTACKS ON TRO 10 December 2006: 40 people killed and 100 injured when GOSL forces shelled 3 TRO IDP camps in Palchchenai, Kandalady and Vammivadduvan 8 November 2006: Kathiraveli 47 people killed and 136 injured when GOSL forces shelled a TRO IDP camp and TRO Sonobo Children’s Home was damaged with 12 children injured. August 2006: TRO boat making yard in Eachchilampattu shelled by the Sri Lanka Air Force. Details not known due to lack of access. Eachchilampattu is currently a no man’s land. 23 August 2006: TRO Jaffna office destroyed 19 August 2006: A boat making yard built by TRO to repair and re-supply tsunami affected fishermen with boats was bombed by the Sri Lanka Air Force. All boats under construction (or finished) were destroyed as was the store room and the main building. 15 August 2006: Amparai TRO/NECORD office attacked - shooting & grenade thrown 31 July 2006: Punochchimunai, Muslim Village , “Rebuild a Village Project” funded by EMERGENCY (Italy). The storeroom at the work site was broken into and over 200 bags of cement were stolen. The staff and security guard working on the project had resigned or “stayed home” from work due to intimidation by alleged Karuna Group representatives who threaten the workers with death if they continued working for TRO. 15 July 2006: Grenade attack on TRO Jaffna office. One grenade thrown into compound during daylight hours within 100 meters of a GoSL army checkpoint. 13 July 2006: Cement being transported to a tsunami “Rebuild a Village Project” being implemented in Vaharai, Batticaloa District with funding from TRO Switzerland was hijacked in Valaichennai by paramilitary forces. The truck & cement have yet to be recovered. 29 June 2006: Boat engines for boats that TRO was providing to the fishermen of Punochchimunai villlage were being transported from Trincomalee to Punochchimunai in a truck when they were stopped by Police in Polonaruwa. The driver and truck were held for 3 days. 26 April 2006: GoSL forces shelled and bombed civilian areas of the Trincomalee District. TRO Santhosam Children's Home damaged by a Kfir bomb. TRO’s office at Kadakarachenai damaged by bombing/shelling. TRO Muttur / Eachchilampattu office attacked/bombed – food store damaged 29 & 30 January 2006: Abduction of 7 staffers in Welikanda area – still missing/disappeared. 7 August 2003, 13 June 2005, 27 September 2005: Three grenade & machine gun attacks on TRO Batticaloa Office. Security Guard killed in 27 September attack, 2 Staffers injured & 5 vehicles destroyed during 13 June attack. Arjunan Ethirveerasingam Project Manager Media Relations TRO (Colombo) Sri Lanka Mobile: +94 77 674 6594 UK Mobile: +44 7758 649198 PHOTOS: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arjunan/ TRO: www.troonline.org |
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