Stop-Torture-Report

The same witness described how civilians who surrendered in May 2009 were
taken along the A9 Highway to Omanthai checkpoint, via Kilinochchi Hospital:
“The Security Forces used the front of the Kilinochchi Hospital as a transit area
for these civilians. The transit point was on the main road, about 200 metres
from the hospital. The whole area of Kilinochchi was under Security Forces
control at this time. I heard from many people in the camps that, whilst they
were waiting outside Kilinochchi Hospital for transport to Vavuniya, loud noises
could be heard coming from inside the hospital. These were female noises of
pain and fear. Others told us that while they were waiting in front of the
Kilinochchi Hospital for the bus to Omanthai, with some of them waiting
overnight, they would hear these terrible noises throughout the night, including
sexual noises.”
(Witness Number withheld for Witness Protection Reasons)
This is not the only account naming Kilinochchi Hospital as a site where sexual
violence may have taken place, though we have yet to interview a survivor from
this site.
Senior Military Leaders Fail to Act
Several insider witnesses saw soldiers mutilate bodies, but this one saw two
Major-Generals take no action to stop the acts:
“I saw them mutilate the bodies with small sticks and stones being forced into
their vaginas along with small knives. They used knives to cut their breasts. I
saw many female cadres get captured and then killed and after that is when
they would be stripped and bodies desecrated. I never saw a captured female
cadre raped. As I said, these actions occurred on the 16-19 May on the north
and south side of the bridge. While I witnessed these things on the south side, I
was standing with Shavendra Silva and XXX. They looked and went back to
their command centre. They said do not do these things but they did not take
any action to identify or punish those who did. The actions of this nature were
not deterred by the inaction of Shavendra Silva and XXX.”
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