The US state Department's country report on Sri Lanka for 1998 has these observations on the involvement of the security forces in extrajudicial killings and human rights violations.

"Impunity remains a serious problem. Since April 1995 at least 750 persons have been killed extrajudicially by the security forces or have disappeared after being taken into security force custody and are presumed dead. With the exception of the six security force personnel convicted in the 1996 killing of Krishanthi Kumarasamy, no member of the security forces has been convicted for any other crimes. In the vast majority of the cases where military personnel may have committed human rights violations, the Government has not identified those responsible and brought them to justice. The military leadership has failed also in this regard."

"The People's Alliance (PA) Government came to power in 1994 and promised to bring to justice the perpetrators of extrajudicial killings from previous years."

"There were no developments in the government investigations into mass graves at Sooriyakanda, which contains an estimated 300 bodies, or the grave at Anukumbura, which is thought to contain the bodies of 36 people killed by the Police in 1989. There were also no development in the Nikaweratiya army camp incident in which soldiers allegedly killed 20 youths in 1989 during the period of JVP uprising."

"There were no developments in the Vantharamulla case in which army troops allegedly abducted 158 Tamils from a refugee camp in Batticoloa district in 1990. Observers maintain there is credible evidence identifying the alleged perpetrators. There was also no progress in the case of 31 youths that allegedly disappeared following their arrests in Divulapitiya in 1989."

"The perpetrators of most extrajudicial killings had not been arrested by year's end."

"Although security forces personnel can be fined or jailed for failure to comply with ER, none were known to have been punished during the year."

To this list of mass graves must be added the mass graves at Mahamadalla in Ambalangoda which according to Prof. Chandrasiri Niriell, the forensic expert, contains at least 100 bodies. To these must also be added Ragama, the secret torture camp run by the Directorate of Military Intelligence under Brigadier General Lionel Balagalla, where many Tamil youths who were taken went missing.

The list of mass graves has swelled making Sri Lanka the land of mass graves.

Suspected mass graves exists in Navalady, Sathurukkondon, Ariyali, Manipay, Vasavilan, Duraiappah stadium, Kaithady and Killinochchi – all over Sri Lanka, North, South, East, and West.

Tortures, involuntary disappearances, and extrajudicial killings continue unabated. Even strictures and directives of the Supreme Court have not been carried out in respect of those convicted of human rights violations.

Retired DIG Premadasa Udugampola is one of those well connected in the allegations of human rights violations. He is not only free but has been given a job by President Chandrika. President's security division's chief, ASP Nihal Karunaratne is DIG Premadasa Udugampola's nominee. Two senior police officers convicted by the Supreme Courts of human rights violations in the fabricated case against High Court judge Mr. Mahanama Tillakaratne are still allowed to continue in service.

The Attorney General, about whose conduct, the Supreme Court is investigating is appointed the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Lt. General Siri Lal Weerasooriya who is answerable in connection with the Chemmani mass graves (as he was in overall charge of the security in Jaffna during the material time) has been promoted as the Army Commander.

Two judges whose conduct was found to be unbecoming are still in service.

During the Provincial Council elections in Wayamba, armed thugs unleashed unprecedented violence against the main opposition party. The opposition party activists were even killed. Ballot boxes were rigged by gunmen. The US Embassy in Colombo had this to say on 29 January 1999.

"We are naturally concerned about the news reports of violence surrounding the election and about the voting day irregularities. The US believes fair and free elections are essential for democracy. We trust the responsible authorities will review these allegations and observers' reports and take necessary steps to ensure public confidence in the electoral process."

So this is President Chandrika, the fascist ruler.

From about 1996, after the army occupied Jaffna, young people went missing without trace. The first accused in the Krishanthi Kumarawami rape and murder case broke the news of the Chemmani mass graves in July 1998. Since then Human Rights activists and organisations pressed the Government to exhume the graves and bring to justice against the perpetrators.

Soon after the news was broken, Nallur-Chemmani road was closed to the public. People around the area complained of unusual movement of vehicles in the area at nights and of rising smoke almost daily. It was alleged that President Chandrika gave adequate time to the security forces to empty the graves and destroy evidence.

After nearly a year, she agreed to exhume the graves. There is evidence that the graves have been tampered with. Unfortunately for her, however, seventeen skeletons have (so far) been  found. There is no doubt that there is blood on her hands.

To make things worse for her, at the current UN General Assembly Sessions in New York, Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing, Violation of Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention have become the main theme.

She cannot face the UN with blood on her hands. A face saving operation was designed and executed.

On 16 September 1999 the market area in Puthukkudiyiruppu a busy centre was targeted and bombed, killing 22 innocent civilians, most of them refugees. The entire world was shocked at this brutal attack and her office was rocked with protest from all over the world. Government sources to this day have maintained that they attacked only a LTTE base. But an Air Force officer (name suppressed by the Sri Lanka government and its media) revealed that the LTTE base was one Km away from the targeted market area.

Then on 18 September 1999 Gonagala, a border village in Amparai was attacked and civilians killed. Some of the attackers were in Army uniform and some were women cadres. Within minutes the news was flashed to Colombo, although the Police arrived at the scene only around 6.00 a.m., the next day.

Strangely the attackers used only swords and poles to kill. As usual the Police blamed the LTTE. There is no prior evidence that the LTTE ever used sword and poles. Later allegations of rape were also reported, surprisingly in the presence of women cadres.

Soon a theory was publicised that this was a retaliation for the aerial attack on civilians in Puthukudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu District.

What is intriguing is the less publicised report, that soon after the attack an army truck speeding away with women cadres crashed at Mangalagama in Amparai District. Twenty of them were seriously injured and fifteen sustained minor injuries. The official version was that these women STF cadres were returning to base after routine practice. Why would they speed away from the area which was reported to have been attacked? Shouldn’t they have joined the relief operations?

God punishes, sometimes instantly!

These women cadres some of whom may become disabled or not able to do normal work must tell the truth. They must fear God.

Were women cadres inducted in a make-belief effort, since LTTE women cadres also take part in LTTE operations?

The Minister of War, Gen Anuruddha Ratwatte, immediately lands in a helicopter with relief aid and a galaxy of media personnel. A full scale media coverage was secured. President Chandrika expresses grief and orders immediate compensation, which, by the way, was not extended to the Tamil victims in Mullaitivu.

A government which counts thousands of soldiers as missing in action to avoid payment of compensation has acted in a strange fashion. There are complaints of misappropriation of compensation to families of dead soldiers and policemen. So, why this unusual drama?

Is this evidently to wash the blood off Chandrika’s hands, and simultaneously shift the blame to the LTTE?

It will be a long time before the truth is found, especially since the Sri Lankan media have forfeited their right to credibility.

Were these done to regain Chandrika’s eroded international image? This question haunts many analysts now.

As for the innocent Sinhala peasants of the border villages, only god can help them.

Media reports say that the stage is set by her diplomats to urge a plea of commitment to peace at the UN session. Her trump card is the Gonagala incident, which is now shrouded in mystery. She is expected to unleash a scathing attack on the LTTE. Thereby she hopes to win sympathy and win loans from World Bank and IMF (and a free license to engage in large scale indiscriminate aerial attack on Tamils to show the Sinhala constituency that she is the Sinhala deity of war, to win the forthcoming elections.)

She is using shelter, food, medicine, education, and rape as weapons of war.

She is siphoning money granted for development projects and pumping them into her war machine.

She is seeking money for development of Tamil areas as well. But she has removed all Tamil executives and Tamil staff from development works in Tamil areas, lest such siphoning of money for military purposes gets exposed.

She is uprooting Tamils from their usual places of residence by bombing and shelling residential areas and forcing Tamils to be internally displaced refugees and to live without basic amenities or livelihood. Army and Police are being used to force out Tamils and Muslims from their homes as in, for example, Thampalakammam and Linga Nagar in Trincomalee District and Alim Chenai in Amparai District. Sinhalese from elsewhere are being planted in these areas. Churches and Hindu temples have been destroyed and Buddhist Vihares have been erected.

No sensible lending organisation should give money to Sri Lanka. There is no development possible in Tamil areas (North-East) until peace is restored and army is withdrawn.

Above all, civil administration should be restored and army should stop its military administration of Tamil areas. Tamil civilian administrators are either being removed or threatened and harassed as in the case of the Government Agents of Kilinichchi, Mullaitivu and Mannar. The GA Mannar is under arrest and is being bullied because he exposed the rape and murder and burial of a fifteen year old girl by the army.

President Chandrika cannot be allowed to throw dust into the eyes of the international community any more. Her mask as a peace-dove has to be torn off and her megalomania, adorned as the Sinhala deity of war, has to be exposed.