Envoy urges international community:
Pressurise LTTE to release innocent civilians
Philip Fernando
Sri Lankan Ambassador to the US Jaliya Wickramasuriya appealed to the
international community to pressurize the LTTE to release civilians in
their captivity.
The Ambassador added that the Government recently declared a new
safety zone to protect fleeing innocent civilians and to help facilitate
the flow of humanitarian aid and medical supplies.
The Government is also providing access within the conflict zone to
the International Committee of the Red Cross, United Nations and World
Food Programme to help in rescuing citizens and providing vital
services, he said. The full text of the Ambassador’s statement:
“We are alarmed by the LTTE terrorists’ desperate tactics to disrupt
the safe passage of innocent civilians fleeing from the conflict zone.
In particular, the orchestrated suicide bomb attack earlier this week by
the LTTE terrorists within a Government centre where innocent civilians
had come to receive humanitarian assistance and medical treatment was a
reckless attempt to intimidate other civilians from seeking safety and
security.
The terrorist attack resulted in 30 deaths and more than 60 injured
and were condemned universally by the international community.
Other disturbing incidents by the LTTE terrorists include the
deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by using them as human
shields and even shooting those who are brave enough to flee the
conflict zone.
As the LTTE terrorists continue to put innocent civilians who seek
safety from the conflict zone in harm’s way, we urge the international
community and especially the United States ª to put pressure on the
leadership of the LTTE to immediately release the remaining civilians
held captive in the conflict zone.
Meanwhile, the Government of Sri Lanka has put together a
comprehensive plan to provide much needed humanitarian assistance to
those who are able to seek safe passage from the conflict zone.
It is our utmost priority to ensure the safety and security of the
civilians and to look after their welfare. In addition, the Government
has recently declared a new safety zone to protect fleeing innocent
civilians and to help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid and
medical supplies.
We are also providing access within the conflict zone to the
International Committee of the Red Cross, United Nations and World Food
Programme to help us in rescuing innocent citizens and providing vital
services to those in our safekeeping.
We are extremely grateful for the ongoing efforts of all the NGOs
including the ICRC, UN, UNICEF, WFP, Caritas, Sri Lanka Red Cross
Society and others who are supporting our humanitarian efforts and
making a challenging situation more bearable for all our citizens.”
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