Sri Lanka: "Final assault" is no answer

Injured civilians in a make-shift hospital in a photograph released by the Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) group 'Mercy Mission to Vanni' on April 20, 2009 [REUTERS/Mercy Mission to Vanni, courtesy www.alertnet.org]

We are gravely concerned about the fate of an estimated 100,000 civilians as Sri Lanka's government announces plans for a "final assault" in the Vanni region, following the expiry of a deadline for Tamil Tigers to surrender

The ongoing conflict between Sri Lankan government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has left hundreds of thousands homeless, more than 5,000 people dead and thousands wounded as a result of heavy fighting, in a so called "safe zone", a sliver of land where the LTTE are fighting their last stand from among tens of thousands of civilians that are trapped there.

International humanitarian law has been violated on both sides. LTTE forces have prevented civilians from leaving the area, and Sri Lankan government troops have continued to indiscriminately shell the "safe zone", leaving thousands of innocent men, women and children injured or dead.

Lasting ceasefire

Pauline Taylor-McKeown, CAFOD head of international programmes, says: "What is needed most urgently is a ‘real’ safety zone respected by both sides and monitored by an international third party.

"Those who wish to leave the safety zone must be allowed to do so and a lasting ceasefire should be observed with a humanitarian corridor established to allow safe passage."

The government has prohibited journalists and human rights monitors from going to the Vanni, making access to accurate information difficult.

However, our partners, who must remain anonymous because of concerns for their safety, report that life in the ‘safe zone’ is one of dire misery for thousands, as they struggle to feed themselves, because of food and water shortages.

A lack of urgent medical supplies has meant that the sick and wounded are left unattended. And families, whose relatives have been killed, have not been able to bury their dead with dignity.

We have pledged a further £50,000 on top of the £20,000 already sent this year to support families affected by the conflict - our partner Caritas Sri Lanka will use the money to provide food, water and basic household items for those who managed to escape.

The Sri Lanka government reports that 49,000 people fled the safety zone today, and there will be even greater need for more money to respond to the increasing humanitarian need.

We have worked through local Sri Lankan partners, assisting war-affected peoples, since the mid 1990’s.

Pauline Taylor-McKeown adds: "Some of these are the same people who were affected by the Tsunami of 2004. On top of that, the decades of civil conflict have polarised Sri Lankan society."

"The Sri Lankan government’s biggest challenge, she continued, "is not the final assault on the Vanni, but to bring about national reconciliation through dialogue. The cycle of conflict must be broken, and reconciliation and healing put in place.

"The only hope for long-term peace in the country depends on the rights and aspirations of all communities being met and respected’."

As the Archbishop of Colombo Oswald Gomis has said: "We have to have a political solution. We have to make people realize that fighting is not the answer.

"We have to ensure that people who belong as nationals in Sri Lanka can live together in harmony. We have to assure them of their fundamental right to equality and justice."

Media: For further information and media briefings please contact: Debbie Wainwright on 020 7095-5557 / 07785 950 378 or email dwainwright@cafod.org.uk

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