Embargo, war caused 13, 379 civilian deaths - report

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 November 2001, 03:05 GMT]
Thirteen thousand three hundred and seventy nine civilians died in the Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu districts due to the war and the economic embargo imposed by the Sri Lankan government from 1990 to 1999, according to a press report in the Vanni published this weekend. Most of the deaths, destruction of civilian property and mass displacement tool place after the People's Alliance came to power in 1994, the report said. Four thousand eight hundred and seventy nine civilians died in the Mullaithivu district between 1994 and 1999 due to the direct impact of the economic embargo on the Vanni, particularly due to the severe restrictions on medical supplies.

The present population of the Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu is 332, 000. About four percent of the population, 13, 379, in these two districts died from 1990 1999 because of to the embargo and operations of the Sri Lanka army, the report said.

It added that thousands of civilians have perished in the Vanni districts of Mannar and Vavuniya in Sri Lanka army operations, massacres, assassinations by paramilitary groups working with the army and torture in Police and military detention. The main population centres of Mannar and Vavuniya under the control of the Sri Lanka army.

The Vanni press report comes in the wake of a rebuttal by the Voice of Tigers radio of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga's statement that more Tamils were killed during the rule of the United National Party than under her regime.

The S.L President told the CNN during an interview last Tuesday that there was no economic embargo on the Vanni.

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