As we grapple with the present, so important not to forget that for many this is a week of remembrance. 11ys ago, on a small strip of beach in Sri Lanka's North, 1000s of Tamils were killed as govt shells rained down on the 3rd 'No Fire Zone' in which they had been told to gather

The 3rd NFZ was declared on 8 May, the culmination of a massive military offensive by govt forces in the preceding months. Just 3 sq km across, it is believed to have contained over 100,000 civilians - most of them without food and water, and protected only by makeshift bunkers.

Promises from Def Sec @GotabayaR that the govt would cease using "heavy weaponry" were repeatedly broken. According to @CrisisGroup the ten days after 8 May "saw some of the most intense shelling of the entire conflict ... w/ scenes of immense devastation + civilian suffering.”

Such was the density of the population in the 3rd No Fire Zone that - according to one eyewitness who spoke to UN investigators - "practically each time a shell fell, people would be injured and killed."

Nothing was spared by government forces. Between 8 and 12 May, the only remaining health facility for civilians - a temporary tented structure located in a former school - was bombed. According to the UN, on exactly this day 11 years ago...

"shells fired by the Army fell directly in front of the admission ward ... killing at least 20, incl a distr health administrator, medical volunteers, a nurse + many patients. Many died instantly, others succumbing to injuries, some as result of lack of medical care + medicine."

One UN official later told a journalist of his belief that “the govt had declared a safe zone only to concentrate civilians in one place and kill as many as possible.” By the end of the war, as many as 40-70,0000 civilians, mostly Tamils, are credibly estim'd to have been killed

These were criminal acts, for which no one has been held accountable. Indeed, the traumatising fact which victims will be forced to confront this year is that many top alleged perps are today at the centre of power in Sri Lanka - some now tasked w protecting civilians . @itjpsl

But we haven't forgotten what happened on that stretch of beach in Sri Lanka in May 2009, and nor should you. So please, if you can, take a moment this week to acknowledge and amplify the voices of the survivors continue to press for truth and accountability.

For more about the final stages of the war, and what needs to happen to bring about meaningful accountability, please see our November 2019 report: 'A Decade of Impunity' https://www.srilankacampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/A-Decade-of-Impunity-Sri-Lanka-Campaign-November-2019.pdf

To name but a few key handles, please also check out @tamilguardian's feed this wk, where they are providing day by day coverage of events 11 yrs ago. Also @AdayaalamCPR and @47roots, who are sharing stories of resilience from those who survived the war and continue to persevere.