For Immediate Release
Today marks the 8th year anniversary of the Sencholai Massacre. The cowardly and inhumane bombing of the Sencholai Children’s’ Home claimed the lives of 61 precious female children in a premeditated aerial strike by the Sri Lankan Air Force. The attack on this civilian premise also claimed the life of three administrators. Sencholai which housed children, who had lost parents in the war, was part of a complex called the “Peace Village” which included 5 children’s’ homes, which were registered with the Government of Sri Lanka as children’s’ homes, within a 1 km radius.
On the day of August 14th, 2006, the Sencholai girls were participating in first aid training workshops when Kfir jet bombers of the Sri Lankan Air Force dropped 16 bombs on the premises of the Sencholai children’s home in Vallipuram, Mullaithivu. The attack also left many heavily injured and severely traumatized. The aerial attacks on Sencholai made it undoubtedly clear that the attack was deliberate, predetermined, and vicious. The barbaric bombing of a facility dedicated to the development of war-affected children joins the long list of abuses, massacres, and atrocities perpetrated by the Sri Lankan government on innocent Tamil people.
Tamil Youth Organisation calls upon the United Nations, International Community, human rights organizations and the civil society organizations to ensure that justice is served for the victims of the Sencholai Massacre and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice. Nothing else will demonstrate a decent respect for the opinions of mankind.
Although the attack took place 8 years ago, not much has changed for the Tamils. Pre-planned acts of genocide, such as land grabs of the homeland, militarisation, sinhalisation, rape, torture and abduction of Eelam Tamils, are all of a clear intent to destroy the nation completely. We strongly condemn the continuation of the multi-faceted genocide perpetrated by the Sri Lankan state. The present times in the homeland have only gotten worse for the Eelam Tamils, especially the youth of the nation. Tamil students are constantly being abducted and arrested by the intelligence operatives of the Sri Lankan military. In most cases the arrests are not made an account of and the military claim to have no idea of the whereabouts of those that have been arrested. The Sri Lankan state continues to operate with impunity.
As we remember the precious lives of our children killed eight years ago, the Tamil Youth Organisation takes a vow on them again today that we will not rest until justice is served and the freedom of our people is achieved.
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