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Sri Lanka: Tamil familys distress overfootage of daughter
Saturday 09 Nov 2013The family of a young Sri Lankan Tamil
separatist oman killed !ygovernment for"es four years ago had no
idea that she had !een "apturedalive until #hannel $ Nes !road"ast
the pi"tures last eek% &ur 'oreign(ffairs #orrespondent)
*onathan +iller) met them%
Three omen are sitting on a !en"h% To of them are staring into
spa"e)their demeanour: deadly serious and !alefully sad% The other)
older) herlined fa"e et ith tears) sits there) so!!ing% +ore than
four years on fromher violent death) they are mourning a daughter
and a sister% ( youngoman) "alled ,saipriya) ho as !orn the year
Sri Lankas "ivil ar !eganand died the very day it ended%, really
"annot at"h the video)- says .ethavan/ini) her mother% , "annot!ear
to see her% , ant to remem!er my daughter as she as%- e told hershe
didnt have to%.ethavan/ini leaves the room as her other to
daughters gae glumly at thegrainy footage% , need them to
positively identify their sister% Theyre thelast pi"tures of
,saipriya alive) !efore her alleged seual assault and murderon Sri
Lankas northeastern "oast some time on +onday) 14th +ay 2009) atthe
hands of government for"es%
they say% Thats definitely her%- Their eyes ell up ith tears%
(nd that isher voi"e%-
The three omen 5 the to surviving sisters and their mother 5
have"laimed asylum in the 6nited 7ingdom) having re"ently !een
smuggled into
8ritain% The mother and one daughter arrived here /ust last
eek%The mo!ile phone footage depi"ts the "apture !y government
for"es of,saipriya5 2yearold seetheart pinup of Sri Lankas Tamil
separatistsand nes"aster on Tamil Tiger T.% Sangeetha) the youngest
of the sisters)as also ith the Tamil Tigers) orking in their
administrative unit% (ll fouromen had !een trapped on a tiny
stret"h of !ea"h along ith 100)000"ivilians and the rump of the
re!el army under relentless shellfire asgovernment for"es "losed
in%
http://blogs.channel4.com/miller-on-foreign-affairs/sri-lanka-tamil-familys-distress-footage-daughter/430http://blogs.channel4.com/miller-on-foreign-affairs/sri-lanka-tamil-familys-distress-footage-daughter/430http://www.channel4.com/news/fate-of-tamil-actress-chilling-new-evidence-from-sri-lankahttp://www.channel4.com/news/fate-of-tamil-actress-chilling-new-evidence-from-sri-lankahttp://eng.lankasri.com/photos/thumbs/2013/10/channel4_001.jpghttp://www.channel4.com/news/fate-of-tamil-actress-chilling-new-evidence-from-sri-lankahttp://www.channel4.com/news/fate-of-tamil-actress-chilling-new-evidence-from-sri-lankahttp://blogs.channel4.com/miller-on-foreign-affairs/sri-lanka-tamil-familys-distress-footage-daughter/430http://blogs.channel4.com/miller-on-foreign-affairs/sri-lanka-tamil-familys-distress-footage-daughter/430
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Object1
The Tamil Tigers 5 also knon as the Li!eration Tigers of Tamil
;elam 5 erea !rutal separatist army hi"h re"ruited "hild soldiers)
used sui"ide!om!ers) targeted "ivilians and ere pros"ri!ed as a
terrorist organisation
!y 8ritain% ,saipriya as a nom de guerre%
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;ven though Sri Lankan for"es are a""used of killing at least
$0)000 Tamil"ivilians in the final months of the 2yearlong ar) the
death of ,saipriya) aseparatist militant) is important !e"ause it
appears to have !een anee"ution) and) as su"h) a violation of the
las of ar%
The Sri Lankan government as sift to dismiss the latest video as
fake%-( military spokesman told the 88# it as a "omplete
fa!ri"ation)- and"laimed that none of the 12)000 Tamil Tiger
"om!atants ho surrendered orere "aptured had !een killed%
The regime has similarly dismissed as fakepast video eviden"e
!road"ast!y #hannel $ Nes% This in"ludes the ee"utions video) hi"h
has !eenindependently authenti"ated !y eperts "ommissioned !y the
6N%
The ne video has also !een verified !y independent eperts
ho"on"luded that the images of ,saipriya in the samp had not !een
su!/e"tto any digital manipulation% ,saipriyas positive
identifi"ation !y tomem!ers of her family serves to reinfor"e the
eviden"e of a ar "rime%(fter the end of the ar) the Sri Lankan
+inistry of @efen"e e!site "laimedLt% #ol% ,saipriya had !een
killed in "om!at !y the armys A3 @ivision) alongith 30 other
identified LTT; leaders) on 14th +ay 2009% No e kno thatasnt true%
,saipriya as not killed in "om!at%
The #ommander of A3 @ivision as +a/or Beneral 7amal Bunaratne
hoas later rearded ith his appointment as #ommander of Se"urity
'or"es
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