5 years after the end of the 26 year long civil war, Sri Lanka has yet to secure its future stability. A World Report in this week's issue describes torture, rape, detentions, and summary executions perpetrated by the Sri Lankan Government against people suspected of involvement in the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and government critics. Evidence suggests a state-sanctioned campaign rather than isolated incidents and, because of a culture of impunity forthe perpetrators (mainly Sri Lankan army, security forces, police officers) and fear of reporting by victims, the true scale of abuse is unknown. The government and the LTTE also stand accused of committing war crimes in the escalation of violence at the end of the war, which is estimated to have claimed the lives of 40 000 people, mainly civilians. Allegations against the government include large-scale shelling of humanitarian operations and hospitals, and those against the LTTE include point-blank shooting of civilians trying to flee the conflict zone.
展开▼
