While twenty five years of civil war must have hardened attitudes in Sri Lanka, the shelling of a hospital is a despicable act. As the Sri Lankan government and Army are preventing foreign journalist in, it is impossible to determine if it was the Sri Lankan Army or the Tamil Tiger Rebels were responsible, it will be discovered once the fighting is over. Human rights abuses will always be found out in the end.
There have been atrocities on both sides, and while the Sri Lankan army are set to defeat the Tamil Tigers, I doubt that this will end the fighting and that a guerrilla war will now follow, as there has to be a political settlement to obtain real peace. As for the Tamil Tigers, like so many rebellions in the name of the people, they have bullied the population. Anyone wanting to leave the area controlled by the (So Called) freedom fighters had to leave a relative in the area as a hostage to ensure they returned.
As any civil war happens as the result of prejudice or oppression then the Sri Lankan government needs to treat the Tamil people with respect, dignity and justice.
I hope that whoever shelled the hospital is punished in a fair and legal way, either by the government or by international courts.
No comments:
Post a Comment