Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission meets in
Pooneryn:
Tigers harassed us, say residents - Chaminda Perera in Pooneryn
People representing civil society organizations, Government servants,
widows and those subjected to LTTE harassment aired their experiences
during the final stage of war before the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission when it met at the Pooneryn Divisional
Secretariat.
'LTTE refused to
treat my daughter' |
Pooneryn
Agricultural officer Mnadarajah Sundaramurthi said his daughter
was injured in a cross-fire between the Army and the LTTE.
She was taken to the Pudumathalan Government Hospital where the
LTTE refused to take her for treatment.
He said a bullet had pierced her hip. "LTTE cadres at the
Pudumathalan hospital refused to treat my daughter as she was
not from the family of LTTE members."
Sundaramurthi broke down in tears when he recollected how he
pleaded the LTTE to save his daughter’s life.
“I begged them to take my daughter to the hospital for treatment
as she was critical condition,” he said.
However he managed to take her to Trincomalee hospital and
thereafter she was transferred to Kanthalai and Vavuniya
hospital. |
Many people said they led a prosperous life before the LTTE chased
them to Vishwamadu and Pudumathalan, when the forces were advancing
towards Pooneryn. Pooneryn Agricultural officer Nadarajah Sundaramurthi
said Tamil political parties are responsible for the Tamil people’s
plight. He also said Tamil politicians, including organizations which
took to arms should be punished for their short-sighted principles which
resulted in creating problems in the country.
Sundaramurthi gave a free account of what actually happened in the
last stage of the humanitarian operation. He said the Army did not fire
at them deliberately, but there were incidents when civilians were
injured when they were caught in the crossfire. Sundaramurthi said they
did not have clothes, water and food, during the later stage of the war.
The food cargo meant for the people being held by the LTTE went to
the terrorist camps and their bunkers, he said.
Sundaramurthi said the LTTE had ordered them to enlist at least one
member of each family for their fighting cadre as there was an acute
shortage of cadres at the later stage of the war.
The LTTE imposed a rule that all able men should extend their maximum
support for the construction of bunkers and earth bonds to prevent the
forces advancing to the area, he said.
Sundaramurthi said all families have their own experiences which
would help the commission get a better idea of what actually happened
during the final stage of the war. |