The London-based Amnesty International (AI) has described as "terrible" the shelling of a Tamil refugee camp in Eastern Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan Army on Wednesday in which at least 50 persons, including children, were killed.
Reacting to the shelling of the Vigneswara Mahavidyalayam at Kathiurveli in Batticaloa district with Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRLs), AI's Asia Pacific Director Purna Sen called for immediate investigations and follow up legal action against those found responsible for the attack.
"It is appalling that the military should attack a camp for displaced people - these are civilians who have already been forced from their homes because of the conflict."
"We condemn all attacks on civilians and are particularly saddened and shocked to see such a large-scale attack on civilians just days after the government's announcement of its Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuses," Sen said.
"Killing and injuring civilians can never be justified. The government must investigate this terrible attack as a matter of urgency."
"It must ensure that those responsible are brought to justice to signal to the rest of the military that attacking civilians will not be tolerated," Sen stressed.
{{/usCountry}}"It must ensure that those responsible are brought to justice to signal to the rest of the military that attacking civilians will not be tolerated," Sen stressed.
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