Rajiva Wijesinha

“ In the first week of August 2006, 17 workers of the French Aid Agency Action Contre La Faim were killed in Muttur in the Trincomalee District of Sri Lanka. A number of questions concerning the incident still remain unanswered. Though it is vital to try to find out who was responsible for the killings, and why, there are other questions too as to the fuller reasons for the deaths of so many helpless youngsters. ”

“ In order to strengthen its case, ACF has had constant recourse to the intervention of the then Head of the Scandinavian Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Gen Henricsson. In this document it merely asserts that ‘Concerned groups such as SLMM, failed to thoroughly investigate the killings as their monitors were refused access to the site’, while failing to note that the SLMM without such investigation issued an ex cathedra statement finding Sri Lankan forces guilty. ”

“ None of this takes away from the obligation of the Sri Lankan government to investigate the case fully, to take notice of all evidence brought to its attention, and to charge those responsible for the killings. The latest reports of the proceedings of the Commission of Inquiry suggest that evidence is not being suppressed. ”

“ According to UTHR, some workers were sent to Muttur against their will on July 31st. UTHR claims ‘The local staff members who were to go to Mutur on Monday 31st July did not want to go. We are told that two of them applied for leave and were turned down. About 5 food security workers were sent to Mutur on Monday. One supposes that instructions to go were routed through Colombo. ”

“ ACF then claims that ‘A fall back plan of moving the 17 staff members to an internally displaced persons camp was also considered by ACF, however the stranded staff members told ACF that it would not be possible for them to leave the office due to the constant heavy shelling. Twenty minutes later, the camp was hit and ten civilians were killed.’
What ACF means here by ‘an internally displaced persons camp’ is not clear. UTHR records several attempts by officials to persuade the ACF workers to move to shelters. ”

“ UTHR also notes 'At security level 3, all decisions to send the staff away from base, Trincomalee town in this instance, to work in an outlying area, we learn, must be routed through the head office in Colombo. Whether this procedure was followed or the decision taken in Trincomalee itself with regard to the staff sent to Mutur during that fatal week is a question to which the answer is hazy. ”