03/27/2009, 00.00
SRI LANKA
Send to a friend

Amnesty slams violence by army and Tamil Tigers against civilians

by Melani Manel Perera
LTTE rebels are holding the population hostage, using people as a buffer against army push. The government is making matters worse for refugees by preventing international humanitarian relief from getting in.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Amnesty International has appealed to the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels for an immediate humanitarian truce to help civilians and allow them to flee the war zone. The appeal by the London-based human rights group confirms the gravity of the situation displaced people are facing in the northern part of the country, an issue repeatedly raised by Christian and civil society groups.

Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific region, has called on the United Nations and international donors to put pressure on both parties to allow access to refugee camps to avoid a “major humanitarian catastrophe.”

Most independent observers estimate there are between 150,000 to 200,000 civilians trapped in the area affected by heavy fighting.

Both the army and the rebels are guilty of firing deliberately on civilians, which “constitutes a war crime,” Zarifi said.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is holding civilians hostage, preventing them from fleeing the Vanni region, Zafiri said.

The LTTE is said to be using civilians as a buffer against the Sri Lankan armed forces.

President Mahinda Rajapaska’s government is making matters worse for refugees by preventing international humanitarian relief from getting into the area.

Amnesty has also slammed the government’s so-called welfare villages, where northern refugees are herded in order to pacify areas currently affected by the fighting.

Said to have health facilities, schools, banks and post offices, these villages are temporary installations according to the government. However, for Amnesty they are an excuse to discriminate against large groups of ethnic Tamils and detain families for indefinite periods of time.

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
Amnesty for rebels but no pity for Tamil Tiger leader
04/05/2009
Dead or alive, Tamil Tiger leader’s fate sealed
23/04/2009
Not every Tamil is a fighter, says Anglican bishop
08/05/2009
Tamil refugees going home to an open prison
15/09/2009
Jaffna bishop tells government that refugees must go home as soon as possible
12/06/2009


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”