Oops I Did It Again...And Killed 378 Civilians

by Michael Bear · 2009-05-11 10:01:00 UTC
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[Al Jazeera report on civilians caught in the crossfire in Sri Lanka]

Understanding recent events in Sri Lanka thru the power of Britney Spears' unique musical ability:

- Bombastic Love

In late April, the Sri Lankan government promised to stop firing heavy weapons into their own, self-declared "no-fire zone," where tens of thousands of civilians were seeking shelter.

- (I Got That) Boom Boom

Then, well, not so much.  According to a New York Times article from May 2nd:

"Artillery strikes on a field hospital killed 64 people and wounded 87 on Friday and Saturday, according to a report on a pro-rebel Web site that accused the government of the shelling. The government immediately dismissed the report, and said several loud blasts heard by soldiers in the area could have been rebels mishandling explosives."

- Oops I Did It Again

Which brings us to today's - perhaps unsurprising - news.  As the AP reported earlier:

"An unrelenting hail of artillery in Sri Lanka's war zone killed at least 378 civilians, according to a government doctor who survived the attack as shells flew near the makeshift hospital. More than 100 of the victims were children, the U.N. said Sunday."

As many as 50,000 civilians still remain trapped in the "no-fire zone".  A recent report by Human Rights Watch provides a glimpse of the horrors facing those civilians caught in the crossfire between Sri Lankan forces and rebel Tamil Tigers.

Michael Bear
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