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One image source used in this analysis was the Ikonos satellite, operated by the GeoEye corporation. Once imagery is acquired from a satellite, it is then added to the companies’ archives and generally made available for resale. Since 2000, commercial satellite operators have acquired high-resolution imagery around the world, largely in response to customer requests. Lastly, ancillary information on mortar and artillery was derived from publicly available United States Army Field Manuals, as indicated below. These photographs were georeferenced by AAAS, and some are available via the AI-USA site. Importantly, a set of photographs taken during a helicopter over flight of the CSZ by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on May 22 provided critical information which aided imagery analysis. These images are summarized in Table One, and more information about the image sources is provided below.Īdditional information used in the AAAS analysis process includes public statements from the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), as well as media reporting, though none of these sources were assumed to be accurate. Finally, a scene from GeoEye-1, collected on May 24, was analyzed to determine post-conflict conditions. Imagery collected by the WorldView satellite includes scenes acquired at approximately 11am local time on May 6 and May 10, 2009, prior to and after reportedly intense fighting in the CSZ. An image from the GeoEye satellite Ikonos, acquired on March 23, 2009, was used together with a scene from DigitalGlobe’s WorldView satellite, acquired on April 19, 2009, to verify conditions in the CSZ immediately prior to the conflict in question. A scene collected from the DigitalGlobe QuickBird satellite on (prior to the current period of conflict), found on GoogleEarth, was used for historical comparison. To derive this information, AAAS analyzed multiple high- resolution satellite images of the CSZ collected by publicly accessible commercial satellites. Selected images and analysis results described below have been made available on Google Earth for public use. This report summarizes results of satellite imagery analysis concerning possible indications of shelling, IDP movements, changes in gravesites, and possible artillery and mortar positions. Following this initial analysis, AAAS sought to identify changes in three graveyards found in both the northern and southern portions of the CSZ, and to identify locations in the CSZ and surrounding territory which might have held artillery or mortar positions. Map by AAAS.Īnalysis from AAAS, initially released in draft form on May 12, 2009, sought to provide information regarding the status of internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the southern portion of the CSZ. Note that analysis of internally displaced persons and possible munitions craters was conducted in a subset of the red area, and focused on the southern portion of the CSZ only. The area covered by the AAAS analysis is outlined in red. The CSZ in northeastern Sri Lanka is shown in blue. As no outside parties were allowed access to the area during the timeframe in question, commercial high-resolution satellite imagery was one of the only options for gathering information.įigure One: Civilian Safety Zone and Analysis Area, Sri Lanka This fighting was reported by multiple international news sources, including the BBC, and was referred to by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokesman Gordon Weiss as a “bloodbath”. These organizations expressed concern over the status and condition of civilians in the southern portion of the CSZ, as they were potentially affected by heavy fighting occurring May 9-10, 2009.
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Imagery analysis was initially requested by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International USA (AI-USA) on May 10, 2009. The Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) acquired and analyzed commercial high-resolution satellite imagery of the Civilian Safety Zone (CSZ) and surrounding environs in northeastern Sri Lanka (Figure One). Crater Morphology as an Indicator of Launcher Position In addition, imagery showed evidence of bomb shell craters, destroyed permanent structures, mortar positions, and 1,346 individual graves. Comparing the May 6 and images of the CSZ, AAAS found significant removal of IDP shelters. Human rights groups expressed concern over the status and safety of civilians due to the heavy fighting occurring 9-10 May, 2009. At the request of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in May 2009, AAAS undertook an initial review of satellite imagery for the Civilian Safety Zone (CSZ) in northeastern Sri Lanka.