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Civilians Bear the Brunt of War in Sri Lanka April 28th, 2009
Conditions are grim in the tiny strip of coast in northern Sri Lanka where tens of thousands of civilians are trapped between the warring LTTE and Sri Lankan Army forces. Lack of food, water and medical supplies coupled with daily bombardment by heavy artillery have made this area a living hell.
UN sources have estimated that 6,432 civilians have been killed since January 20 of this year while another 13,946 have been wounded. This does not include all the bodies that are lying by the roadsides. We have received reports that today, numerous people were killed while 1,374 were injured and admitted to two hospitals. A health clinic was bombed killing people in the injured patient’s ward.
International calls to both sides to stop the fighting have fallen on deaf ears. The ICRC has been able to evacuate some 4,000 people in recent weeks, mostly severely wounded by Army bombing, but many more have been unable to get out, forcibly detained as a human shield by the LTTE. Civilians, as young as 12, have been forcibly conscripted by the LTTE in a desperate effort to fend off the military advance.
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Humanitarian Catastrophe Unfolds in Sri Lanka April 17th, 2009
Human Rights Watch has posted a photo montage of the humanitarian catastrophe in the northern Vanni region of Sri Lanka. Human Rights Watch researcher Anna Neistat says both sides in Sri Lanka’s conflict are violating the laws of war, endangering the roughly 100,000 civilians trapped in a government-declared “no-fire zone.” Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebels have prevented civilians from leaving the tiny strip of land, while government forces shell the area daily, leading to numerous casualties.
The photos in this slideshow are from a makeshift hospital in Putumattalan that was treating survivors of attacks on April 8 and 9, 2009. Many were women and children who were waiting in a food distribution line in Pokkanai when artillery shells hit.
Sri Lanka: No Let-Up in Army Shelling of Civilians March 25th, 2009
Tamil Tigers Unwilling to Release Their Hold on 150,000 People
The Sri Lankan army, despite government denials, is indiscriminately shelling the “no-fire zone” in northern Sri Lanka where thousands of civilians are trapped by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, citing new information from the region. More than 2,700 civilians have reportedly been killed over the last two months, and the number of casualties rises daily.
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The Spring 2009 issue of JPIC Report now available March 18th, 2009
The Spring issue of JPIC Report is now available, with hyperlinks to email addresses and websites mentioned in the text. (Download PDF)
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US Expresses Deep Concern about Humanitarian Situation in Sri Lanka March 14th, 2009
The US State Department issued a statement on March 13 expressing “deep concern over the deteriorating conditions and increasing loss of life occurring in the Government of Sri Lanka‐designated “safe zone” in northern Sri Lanka.” In a call to President Rajapaksa, Secretary Clinton “stated that the Sri Lankan Army should not fire into the civilian areas of the conflict zone. The Secretary offered immediate and post‐conflict reconstruction assistance and she extended condolences to the victims of the March 10 bombing outside a mosque in southern Sri Lanka. She condemned the actions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who are reported to be holding civilians as human shields, and to have shot at civilians leaving LTTE areas of control.”
Secretary Clinton called on President Rajapaksa to devise a political solution to the ongoing conflict. She further urged the President to give international humanitarian relief organizations full access to the conflict area and displaced persons camps, including screening centers.”
According to the Statement, “The United States believes that a durable and lasting peace will only be achieved through a political solution that addresses the legitimate aspirations of all of Sri Lanka’s communities.” The US calls on the Sri Lankan Government “to put forward a proposal now to engage Tamils who do not espouse violence or terrorism, and to develop power sharing arrangements so that lasting peace and reconciliation can be achieved.”
