US cable: SL paramilitary subjects Tamil women to forced abortions
The recently unearthed cable, written by Ambassador Robert Blake, discusses Sri Lanka’s complicity in paramilitary operations, which included extra-judicial killings, forced abortions, child trafficking and extortion.
Detailing the account of a Christian Father, the cable included details of the government allied paramilitary group, the EPDP, carrying out forced abortions on Tamil women with links to the LTTE:
"Father Bernard also told us of an EPDP medical doctor named Dr. Sinnathambi, who performs forced abortions, often under the guise of a regular check-up, on Tamil women suspected of being aligned with the LTTE."
Citing a Jaffna government agent, the cable also described how the EPDP, carried out assassinations:
"when the EPDP intends to kill a target, they first provide notice to the military. The number of soldiers patrolling the streets of Jaffna (40,000 total on the peninsula) is such that there are literally soldiers stationed at every street corner. At an agreed time, all of the soldiers in the designated area take a five to ten minute "break" at once (although the normal practice is to take breaks in shifts). At that point, armed and masked gunmen, often riding on motorcycles, race down the street and assassinate the intended victim. Shortly after the killing, the soldiers' break over, they return to their posts to deal with the aftermath. While police investigations are common, they almost never lead to arrests."