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Vaharai civilians chased around with shelling and fear of shelling

On Sunday Kandalady school was shelled and 19 civilians were killed.

On Monday, thirty of the badly injured refugees were transferred by the ICRC by sea to the Batticaloa hospital. ICRC was forced to rush off because shells started to fall near the evacuation point in the coast.

Earlier, on 8 December, 47 civilians were killed in Kathiraveli school, when it came under artillery fire. After that killing, SLMM and UN Ambassador Allan Rock managed to visit the area. However, their trip to Vaharai was delayed and they managed to talk to the people only briefly.

On Tuesday, all the refugees were concentrated around the Vaharai hospital, when rumours were spread through Colombo media that the LTTE has artillery positions near the hospital and therefore SLA is going to shell the hospital. Fear stricken refugees started to scatter and some have moved towards Pannichchankerni.

On Tuesday morning, Pannichchankerni came under aerial bombardment. No casualties have been reported. Refugees, petrified by the constant shelling and bombing, are running from place to place.

The SLA is carrying on with this relentless attack for the purpose of capturing Vaharai. For this purpose it is ready to kill as many refugees as it takes. Starve people as much as it needs to flush the people out like flushing animals from an area.

In spite of these random shelling that has so far taken 89 refugee lives, the assault has not been condemned. Neither has the SLMM or the ICRC been allowed to visit the region. Neither has the A15 route been opened for the people to go somewhere else. Despite all of these, accusations are being made that the LTTE is not allowing people to leave. At least the A15 route could be opened and then accusations could be made that the LTTE preventing the people from leaving.

From Mavilaru onwards 186 Tamil civilians have paid with their lives for the GoSL military schemes to capture first, Sampur, and now Vaharai. Sampur it was said had to be captured because it poses a threat to the Trincomalee harbour. Vaharai has to be captured obviously for some reason. So does every other LTTE administered area.

Prior to each of these attacks some time and effort is taken to block the area to outside access. Then Tamil civilian deaths can be brushed off because no one will witness it except the Tamils. Wither the Tamil civilians.

The names of civilians killed in Vaharai

12 December 2006

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