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.”