How useful is this source as evidence of the Chencholai bombing?

1. How useful is this source as evidence of the Chencholai bombing? This source is useful to tell us that Sri Lankan government does not honour /neglects human rights. / not justified in bombing Chencholai. In the source it states that ‘We couldn’t find any sign of military installations or weapons… there are no LTTE military camps in the area’. This implies that the Sri Lankan government had violated human rights because it had deliberately bombed an orphanage.

2. However, this source has its limitations. (Do not say ‘ not useful’).It does not explain the Sri Lankan government’s reason for bombing, that is, its target was the ‘LTTE training camp for child soldiers’ and not schoolchildren. In the source it also states that ‘the victims were clearly not attending classes’ because it was highly unusual’ to attend a ‘7 am class’.

3. This source, has its limitations, is reliable. The source is by Norwegian monitoring mission and his purpose is gather information and inform the public on the situation in Sri Lanka objectively/without any bias. Thus, this source is useful in giving us a perspective of group which are not personally involved in the Sri Lanka conflict.

4. How reliable is this source to prove that the Sri Lankan government is not guilty of human rights violation? The source is reliable to show that the Sri Lankan government protects human rights. In the source it shows a soldier giving a child soldier clothes. This implies that the Sri Lankan government is rescues child soldiers and rehabilitates them and not attack them. This is supported by Source B which states that the bombing was aimed at ‘LTTE training centre’ and that they did not ‘know if they had moved child soldiers there’. This implies that the government did not aim to target child soldiers and it was done out of ignorance.

5. This source, however, is challenged/ contradicted by Source C which states it was deliberate attack by the government. In the source it states that ‘ the government cannot claim it was area where LTTE camps were bring operated’ because ‘the school was located’ there. This implies that the Sri Lankan government had deliberately targeted the location even though there were children. Thus, implying that they violated human rights.

6. The source is unreliable because the source is from a government website. Its purpose is to portray the Sri Lankan government as protecting child soldiers so that the world would not criticize them for their attacks on the Tamils. From what I have learnt, the Sri Lankan government has been merciless about putting down the rebels and in the process committed atrocities. Thus source is unreliable.