Breaking - Aid Worker Killed in Sri Lanka

by Michael Bear · 2008-11-28 13:39:00 UTC
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An aid worker was shot and killed yesterday in Batticalao District in Sri Lanka.  According to the police, A. Vigneswaran was murdered after gunmen forced him from his house - no further details are yet available.  Mr. Vigneswaran had worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) for two years.

For more information about attacks against humanitarian workers - including the 2006 massacre of 17 people working for Action Contra La Faim in Sri Lanka - see here.

Background information (added on Sunday)

Both Batticalao and Trincomalee districts used to be held by the Tamil Tigers, until they were recaptured by Sri Lankan forces two years ago.  The fighting forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, with approximately 170,000 still displaced as of March 2007.

Since then, the vast majority have returned, assisted by the Sri Lankan Government, the UN, and other aid agencies.  Overall, 133,871 people are now re-settled, with only 11,268 still displaced.  (For a map of returns in Batticaloa and Trincomalee, see here.)

That said, Eastern Province is still unsafe.  Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned of a "deteriorating human rights situation", with at least 30 extrajudicial killings in the region since September (including attacks against members of civil society organizations and journalists).  According to HRW, a group with backing from the Sri Lankan government is behind many of the attacks.

Michael Bear
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