President assures
SAFE PASSAGE
Urges LTTE to allow free civilian movement within 48 hours:
Being acutely conscious of the welfare of the civilians forcibly
being held in the conflict zone by the LTTE, we have declared a safe
zone for civilians. I urge the LTTE within the next 48 hours to allow
free movement of civilians to ensure their safety and security, said
President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a statement issued yesterday evening.
“For all those civilians, I assure a safe passage to a secure
environment. I also assure all those living in the North and conflict
areas in particular, that vacating LTTE held areas will ensure their
physical security and enable peace, freedom and rights for all citizens
of this country,” the statement said.
The statement:
My Government, since its election, has always been concerned about
the welfare of all citizens of Sri Lanka and their economic and social
progress. The welfare of the citizens of the Northern and Eastern
Provinces, especially of those in areas dominated by the LTTE, has been
of even greater concern to my Government. As a result, my Government has
always been committed to usher peace in those regions so that all people
of Sri Lanka, especially those in the North and the East will have the
opportunity to exercise their democratic rights and choose their leaders
freely through elections to realise their political aspirations within
the democratic framework that has flourished in Sri Lanka for long
years.
However, all efforts for finding solutions peacefully for outstanding
issues in the North and the East were repudiated by the LTTE and I was
compelled to take measures to combat the terrorism unleashed by the LTTE
on the people of Sri Lanka. In the efforts to eradicate terrorism and in
the humanitarian operations to free civilians from suffering and
insecurity, the Government and the Security Forces have been conscious
of the welfare of civilians, their lives and property at all times.
In addition, as a democratically elected Government with a clear
mandate from the people, we have always been determined to protect the
territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka and to find solutions
to all problems within a democratic framework while uniting all the
people of Sri Lanka.
In this context, the Security Forces have been successful in
conducting their mandated operations to achieve these objectives of the
Government and the people of Sri Lanka.
The Government is now poised to take decisive steps that will enable
an environment conducive for the reintroduction of democracy that will
provide the people of the Northern Province an opportunity to exercise
their right to elect their leaders by free choice so that solutions can
be found for all outstanding issues through negotiation and discussion
and not through violence.
As a result of the operations by Security Forces, LTTE control over
civilians is now confined to a small area in the Northern Province and a
large number of civilians are being held there forcibly by the LTTE,
thus endangering innocent civilian lives.
Being acutely conscious of the welfare of the civilians forcibly
being held in the conflict zone by the LTTE, we have declared a safe
zone for civilians, the co-ordinates of which were announced by the
Security Forces.
This is to ensure that they stay out of harm’s way during engagements
between Security Forces and armed LTTE cadres, and to assure the safety
and security of civilians.
It is unfortunate that the LTTE is exploiting this declared safe zone
for civilians by placing their heavy artillery within the safe zone and
using it as a launching pad to attack Security Forces and
indiscriminately kill civilians.”
“I urge the LTTE, within the next 48 hours to allow free movement of
civilians to ensure their safety and security. For all those civilians,
I assure a safe passage to a secure environment.
I also assure all those living in the North and in conflict areas in
particular, that vacating LTTE held areas will ensure the physical,
security and enable peace, freedom and rights for all citizens of the
country.”
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