“In the past 15 months, over 1400 Tamil civilians were arbitrarily executed by the Sri Lankan
armed forces and their para-military groups; over 500 Tamil civilians have been made victims
of enforced disappearance – Journalists have been killed and Tamil media organizations
threatened. The international human rights community is well aware of the gross breaches to
the IHL by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in their military offensives including the attack on
Trincomalee/Vaharai. In this grave situation, acting against the perpetrator of these crimes,
the Sri Lankan state and its armed forces, is of utmost importance for re-enforcing the core
values of the newly formed UN human rights body, the HRC” said the LTTE spokesperson.
“The violations of human rights and humanitarian law in the Tamil homeland and other parts
of the island against Tamil people have taken on such proportions as to be categorized as
crimes of genocide,” Ms Selvy explained. She said that “the age group of the victims of
arbitrary executions and other forms of killings is 20-30; political, social and cultural leaders
of the Tamil people have been systematically threatened and executed. The Tamil media is
severely attacked; the Tamil people are mercilessly forced into a humanitarian crisis situation.
600 000 Tamil people in the Jaffna peninsula are virtually held hostage and used as human
shields by the 50,000 Sri Lankan armed forces occupying the area. It is all part of this grave
situation of genocide”.

The LTTE spokesperson was suspicious of the real agenda of the Sri Lankan Government on
its recent Commission of Investigations (CoI). “Past experience demonstrates that these
types of Commissions had never allowed full investigations into the crimes or prosecution of
the real criminals. On the contrary, it is a part of the devious tactics of the Sri Lankan state to
deflect the attention of the international community”, she argued. Expressing surprise at the
decision of the international community to participate in this process as observers
(Independent Group of Eminent Persons), Ms.Selvy pointed out that this fell short of the
expectations of international human rights organizations like AI, ICJ and others. “But if the
monitoring system (International Independent Group of Eminent Persons) could discipline the
Sri Lankan state and bring the culprits to book, it would be worthwhile,” said the
spokesperson.

Commenting further on the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Tamileelam defacto state, Selvy pointed out that the civilian population in these areas are not facing
problems like arbitrary executions and disappearances; no incidence of torture is reported; all
local and international media have free access to the Tamileelam territory, including the
Colombo ‘hard-hitting’ English media which have readers in Vanni; journalists have access
to all parts of the de facto Tamileelam state except the military related zones.
“Aerial bombings and shelling across the control line and the deep penetration attacks by the
SLA and para-military groups are the real causes of crises in our part of the island,” said the
LTTE spokesperson.

Selvy explained the functioning of Tamileelam judicial, police and prison administrations.
She stated that the law of the land has improved with time and the recent inclusion of the
Child Protection Act is an example of this evolutionary process. She said the ICRC and
representatives of different international humanitarian and human rights organizations
regularly visit the judicial, police and prison systems and contribute to their improvement.
“The tax and penalty systems are part of the normal governing process of a de facto state as
much as that of a de jure state, and in the Tamileelam state, we have a sophisticated system of
tax laws,” explained Ms.Selvy.

On answering the question of multi-party democracy, Ms Selvy explained that except for the
para- military groups which are a security threat to the people and the de facto state, all other
parties have access and freedom to function in our areas. The five democratically elected
political parties in the TNA are participating in the political process of the people in the
Tamileelam areas. “Contrary to this,” she argued, “the Sri Lankan state prevents the
democratic political parties from functioning in Colombo unless they comply with the
undemocratic 6th amendment of its constitution; Sri Lanka based Tamil political parties
should not talk of the freedom of the people”.

Ms Selvy reiterated the LTTE declaration made on the Human Rights Day, 2006, that the
freedom struggle of the people of Tamileelam accords with the international human rights
goals.

For further contact:
Ms N Selvy,
LTTE spokesperson on humanitarian issues and human rights.
Tele: +94-21-228-3960