11 years today - Soldiers throw grenades into bunkers with surrendering families

 15 May 2020

Marking 11 years since the Sri Lankan military onslaught that massacred tens of thousands of Tamils, we revisit the final days leading up to the 18th of May 2009 – a date remembered around the world as ‘Tamil Genocide Day’. The total number of Tamil civilians killed during the final months is widely contested. After providing an initial death toll of 40,000, the UN found evidence suggesting that 70,000 were killed. Local census records indicate that at least 146,679 people are unaccounted for and presumed to have been killed.

See more at www.RememberMay2009.com, a collaborative project launched last year, between the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, Tamil Guardian and 47 Roots.

16th May 2009

Photograph above: Sri Lankan Air Force drone footage showing tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in Mullivaikkal. May 16th 2009.

Soldiers throw grenades into bunkers with surrendering families

As Tamil civilians attempted to surrender to the oncoming Sri Lankan military, many were slaughtered.

The US State department quoted an organization’s local sources as reporting,

“that they attempted to escape the NFZ with a large group of children, coming out with white flags. The SLA started shooting at them and told them to go back to their bunkers.”

“The sources reportedly saw soldiers throw grenades into two bunkers, and saw tanks going over bunkers and destroying everything inside.”

The Sri Lankan military’s 58th and 59th Divisions link on the coastline.

Wounded dying without treatment, doctors surrender

All government doctors and senior health officials have crossed Sri Lankan military lines. 

The US State Department reports,

“… in the final weeks of the conflict, doctors in the Mullivaikkal hospital had to operate with butchers' knives and watered-down anesthetics due to the shortage of medical supplies.”

“With replacement blood running out, staff filtered what they could from the patients through a cloth before feeding it back into their veins.”

The doctors were detained and interrogated for several months by the Sri Lankan military.



Photograph:Sri Lankan Air Force drone footage of the infamous No Fire Zone, where tens of thousands of Tamil civilians have endured heavy artilerry shelling. May 16th 2009.

TamilNet reports that between 2,000 and 3,000 bodies litter the remaining No Fire Zone. "We need a pause from continued cannon and mortar fire to treat the wounded,” said one volunteer doctor who had remained. “There is a serious need for external medical crew to take care of the seriously wounded, who are allowed to die without medical attention."

See more Sri Lankan drone footage of the No Fire Zone below.

Rajapaksa declares victory

Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is currently in Jordan, declares victory over the LTTE.

Extracts of his speech are below.

"The freedom of the Tamil civilians held hostage by the LTTE is near at hand, and the rescue of all civilians in the small patch of land held by the LTTE will be done in 48 hours… my government with the total commitment of our Armed Forces, has in an unprecedented humanitarian operation, finally defeated the LTTE militarily.

“My government’s precise and well coordinated humanitarian operation has so far succeeded in rescuing over 210,000 civilians”

“It is worthwhile reminding ourselves over and over again that there are no good terrorists and bad terrorists. Terrorism anywhere is terrorism and should be treated in the manner it deserves.”

“Pressure to contain military operations when terrorism is being eliminated can be very frustrating as terrorists through such interventions will get another lease of life. Countries that are successfully progressing to eliminate terrorism must be encouraged through assistance for purposes of development by international lending institutions without being ‘put on hold’.”

See his full speech here. 

Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the defence ministry spokesman, told Al Jazeera

"The LTTE have no other choice but to surrender or commit suicide."

Surrender negotiations continue

The UN Secretary-General’s Chief of Staff Vijay Nambiar is on the island.

The Petrie Report states,

“In the second week of May, LTTE civilian political leaders were in contact… asking that they facilitate a surrender and be present when it took place”

“When the Chef de Cabinet arrived back in Colombo on 16 May he indicated to the Government that he was willing to travel to the Wanni and be present at the surrender. His offer was refused. The Chef de Cabinet said he was nevertheless assured by senior Government officials that LTTE leaders bearing a white flag could surrender.”

The LTTE meanwhile issued a statement saying it was “prepared to take all necessary measures that would immediately stop the current carnage” and restated “its categorical position to enter a political process facilitated by neutral international parties and find a meaningful solution to the ethnic crisis.”