“5 dead in Visuvamadu, 21 injured by shelling”
That was an SMS message sent by UN staff in the north of Sri Lanka exactly four years ago today. The messages coming from this area quickly become more frantic and distressing as they document the Sri Lankan army’s repeated bombing of civilian areas, no fire zones, and hospitals – as well as the LTTE’s refusal to let people leave, and their attempted forced recruitments of the families of UN staff.
“4 years on” is a twitter account we have set up to draw attention to the terrible final months of Sri Lanka’s Civil War. Taking its material largely from SMS messages that were sent out of the LTTE held areas, and documented in the UN Internal Review Panel Report on Sri Lanka, it does this by sending these messages out exactly four years after they were first sent.
You can read all the messages, and follow the timeline, here.
The twitter name is @4YearsOn
If you are on twitter please do follow the account, retweet the tweets, and tell your followers. And wherever you are please do spread the word about this new initiative.