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print versionFor Immediate Release
29 January 2009
We, the signatories of this statement, strongly condemn both the
Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) for their callous disregard for the safety and welfare of civilians
trapped in the crossfire in Mullaitivu. We demand the GOSL and the LTTE
immediately prioritise the safety of these quarter million civilians to
prevent the humanitarian catastrophe that has begun to unfold in northern
Sri Lanka.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a statement on 28
January 2009 alerts the unfolding of a major humanitarian crisis:
“Hundreds of people have been killed and scores of wounded are
overwhelming understaffed and ill-equipped medical facilities … People are
being caught in the crossfire, hospitals and ambulances have been hit by
shelling and several aid workers have been injured while evacuating the
wounded.â€
We also raise our serious concern about the safety and welfare of the
civilian population of the Vanni who have been repeatedly displaced in
recent months and have suffered untold hardship fleeing aerial bombardment
and artillery shelling with inadequate access to food, shelter and
medicine.
The LTTE is responsible for forcing the civilian population to retreat
with them into parts of Mullaitivu under its control. Here the Red Cross
and United Nations estimate that around 250,000 civilians are currently
trapped in and around the direct line of the GOSL military offensive and
the firing line of the LTTE. We have received reports that any attempt to
leave this area carries the risk of death at the hands of the LTTE who are
using these civilians as human shields.
However, the “safe zone†established by the GOSL is inadequate. The
civilians who managed to escape to the safe zone face extreme risk and
have become victims of indiscriminate fire. The GOSL claims that such
bombardment is in response to LTTE artillery firing from near the safe
zones; this does not justify the GOSL’s actions and such claims reveal the
GOSL’s determination to pursue its war agenda at any cost. Furthermore,
the GOSL should take immediate steps to show that it is concerned about
the fate of Tamil civilians, including the rights of those who flee
Mullaitivu.
Recognising the grave dangers to civilians, the Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev.
Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam in a letter dated 25 Jan 2009 to the President
urging larger safe zones, has made the following plea:
“We are also urgently requesting the Tamil Tigers not to station
themselves among the people in the safety zone and fire their
artillery-shells and rockets at the Army. This will only increase more and
more the death of civilians thus endangering the safety of the people. I
insist that both parties must observe the safety zone strictly.â€
The LTTE’s use of civilians as human shields and deadly efforts to prevent
civilians fleeing the war zone are unacceptable and clearly violate the
laws of war. Despite this, it is the Sri Lankan state’s duty to ensure
the safety and protection of all of its citizens. Civilian protection
must take priority over military objectives. The GOSL should immediately
prioritize addressing the escalating number of civilian deaths, the
inability of injured civilians to reach areas of safety and medical care,
and the sheer fear and terror experienced by the trapped civilian
population.
The international community, as evident from their statements on the
humanitarian situation, is aware of the mounting humanitarian catastrophe.
There needs to be further concerted international pressure to prevail
upon the GOSL and the LTTE to ensure the safety of the civilian
population.
We therefore appeal to the United Nations and the UN Agencies, governments
engaged with the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka including the State
Government of Tamil Nadu, and international humanitarian organizations to:
• pressure the GOSL to create additional and more effective safe zones;
• demand that the GOSL and the LTTE establish corridors of safety with
associated cessation of hostilities in areas necessary to allow for the
safe passage of civilians to secure areas;
• demand that international organizations such as UNHCR and ICRC are given
full access to provide adequate care for the civilian population;
• demand that neither the armed forces nor armed groups violate the rights
of the displaced civilians arriving in government controlled areas;
• demand that both the GOSL and the LTTE ensure the Geneva Conventions are
adhered to in the treatment of civilians; as well as any LTTE cadres that
surrender or are captured by security forces and members of the security
forces captured by the LTTE, including the right to life and humane
treatment of the prisoners of war.
Signed
- Sri Lanka Democracy Forum (SLDF)
- International Network of Sri Lankan Diaspora (INSD)
- Committee for Democracy and Justice, UK
- Thenee - Tamil Website (web link: www.thenee.com / www.theneeweb.de /
www.thenee.eu ) - Uthayam Newspaper, Australia
- Parai Magazine, Norway
- Uyirnilal - Tamil Political Literary Magazine, France
- South Asia Solidarity Group, UK
- Free Media, Norway
- South Asia Solidarity Initiative, USA
