May 16 in Mullivaikkal

On May 16, reports described escalating violence during attempted civilian surrenders, severe collapse of medical services, high-level political declarations, and ongoing surrender-related communications.

According to United States State Department reporting, local sources described incidents in which Tamil civilians attempting to surrender under white flags were reportedly fired upon by Sri Lankan Army (SLA) forces. Witness accounts stated that groups including children were ordered to return to bunkers under fire, and that soldiers allegedly threw grenades into bunkers where civilians were sheltering. Additional reports described armoured vehicles moving over bunker structures, resulting in further destruction and civilian deaths.

Medical conditions inside the conflict zone were described as having collapsed almost entirely. All government doctors and senior health officials reportedly crossed into Sri Lankan military-controlled territory. The State Department reported that in the final weeks of the conflict, medical staff in Mullivaikkal Hospital were forced to operate under extreme shortages, including using improvised surgical tools and diluted anaesthetics due to lack of supplies. In some cases, blood was reportedly filtered manually through cloth before being reinfused due to shortages. TamilNet reported that between 2,000 and 3,000 bodies remained scattered across the remaining No Fire Zone. Following evacuation, medical personnel were detained and later interrogated by the military for several months.

On the same day, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, while in Jordan, publicly declared military victory over the LTTE. He stated that terrorism must be uniformly condemned and defeated in all forms. Military spokesperson Udaya Nanayakkara told media that the LTTE had no option other than surrender or suicide, indicating the final phase of the military campaign.

At the same time, surrender negotiations were reportedly ongoing. The UN Secretary-General’s Chief of Staff Vijay Nambiar was present in Sri Lanka during discussions involving LTTE civilian political leaders, who were seeking arrangements for a formal surrender facilitated by international actors. The Petrie Report noted that LTTE representatives had been in contact with intermediaries requesting conditions for surrender under international supervision.

The LTTE issued a statement through spokesperson Selvarasa Pathmanathan declaring willingness to halt the violence and enter a political process facilitated by neutral international parties. The statement emphasised that civilians were now reliant on international intervention for protection and called for immediate steps to stop the ongoing killings while pursuing a negotiated political solution.

https://slguardian.org/my-return-will-be-back-to-a-country-free-of-terrorism-says-president-rajapaksa/

TamilNet: 16.05.09 LTTE takes heed to Obama's call: Pathmanathan