May 18 in Mullivaikkal

On May 18, reports described the final overrunning of the No Fire Zone, large-scale civilian casualties, alleged executions of surrendering individuals, and widespread allegations of post-conflict abuses.

The Sri Lankan military reportedly overran the last remaining No Fire Zone in Mullivaikkal, effectively bringing the final operational area of the conflict under government control. Communication from the area was severed, with TamilNet receiving a final phone call from correspondents in the field before all contact was lost. A United States State Department report cited witness accounts alleging that Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers threw grenades into civilian bunkers and that military vehicles ran over injured civilians lying on roads. The report further stated that earth-moving equipment was later used to bury bodies that had remained exposed for several days, with witnesses reporting that injured civilians were not consistently separated from the dead.

The OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) documented multiple testimonies describing widespread devastation, including hundreds of bodies scattered across the conflict zone. Entire families were reported killed when shells struck bunkers used as shelter. Witnesses described leaving behind deceased relatives while fleeing further shelling, and many survivors were reported to be severely traumatised by the scale of destruction.

Allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances also emerged. Hundreds of LTTE cadres, their families, and civilians who had surrendered were reportedly killed or disappeared after being taken into military custody. The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) documented at least 293 individuals seen surrendering to Sri Lankan forces who were subsequently unaccounted for. Among those reported missing was Father Joseph (Sri Lankan priest), last seen boarding a military vehicle alongside LTTE cadres during surrender arrangements.

The OHCHR Investigation further found reasonable grounds to believe that senior LTTE political figures, including Balasingham Nadesan and Seevaratnam Puleedevan, along with Nadesan’s wife, may have been executed after surrendering to government forces. Additional emblematic cases included Colonel Ramesh, who was reportedly seen in custody before being killed, and the 12-year-old son of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, Balachandran Prabhakaran, who was photographed in custody and later found dead. Tamil media personality Isaipriya was also reported killed while in military custody.

Reports of sexual violence were also documented. A United Nations Panel of Experts concluded that rape and sexual violence against Tamil women during the final stages of the conflict were significantly under-reported. However, indirect testimonies and visual evidence suggested instances of sexual violence by members of government forces and affiliated groups. Photographic and video evidence, including material broadcast by Channel 4, showed deceased female cadres in conditions that raised serious concerns about possible sexual violence prior to or after death.

Humanitarian consequences continued after the end of active fighting, with approximately 300,000 displaced civilians placed in internment camps, described at the time as one of the largest displacement situations globally. Many of these individuals remained in such camps for extended periods following the end of hostilities.

In Colombo, protests erupted in the aftermath of the military victory declaration. Demonstrators attacked the British High Commission and burned an effigy of UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband. The British High Commission condemned the violence and criticised authorities for failing to prevent the escalation of the protest.

Post-conflict concerns also emerged regarding evidence handling. The OHCHR Investigation expressed concern over allegations that the Sri Lankan Army may have destroyed evidence following the end of fighting, including reports of bodies being exhumed and burned. The report noted the absence of systematic forensic investigation and emphasised the need for extensive forensic examination of burial sites to establish accountability for deaths during the final stages of the conflict.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/101814/British-anger-at-Sri-Lanka-protest

Sri Lanka: top UN official welcomes recent releases of displaced from camps

https://srilankatwo.wordpress.com/2019/05/21/133930/

Report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka/III Nature and Scope of Alleged Violations - Wikisource, the free online library