The Ceylon News

Voicing concern over the plight of the trapped civilians in Sri Lanka's conflict zone, Britain has favoured "a fully inclusive" political process for lasting peace in that country as it discussed the situation in the island nation with India.

British Foreign secretary David Miliband discussed the situation in Sri Lanka with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, among other international leaders yesterday.

"We have always been very clear that there can be no military solution. Lasting peace in Sri Lanka can only come about through a fully inclusive political process that takes into account the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lanka's communities - Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims.

"We have...been very clear with the Sri Lankan government that democratically elected governments are rightly held to higher account for their actions than terrorist organisations," he said.

In a statement to Parliament, Miliband said the fate of Tamil civilians was Britain's most pressing concern.

If the reports of latest exodus of civilians prove to be accurate, thousands would have managed to leave the conflict area since January, he said, adding many of them would have been displaced "numerous times over the past 18 months, each time the front line has moved."

"It is vital that these Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are treated in accordance with international humanitarian law. The over-riding need is for an immediate end to the tragic humanitarian crisis," Miliband said.

He said the Department for International Development had so far allocated 5 million pounds, the majority of which was being used to support the work of the agencies providing protection and assistance work for the IDPs.

"We want to see an urgent end to this conflict, now in its 26th year, which has cost well over 70,000 lives," he said.

Noting recent reports that on April 20 the Sri Lankan Army had breached the LTTE's groundwork defences, he said he was deeply concerned over reports that civilians were killed in the operation and that others remained at threat from the fighting.

"We condemn the killings of civilians in the strongest possible terms and urge all parties to take all necessary action to avoid further civilian casualties.

"Both the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE must abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians at all times," he said yesterday.

The Sri Lankan government on Thursday claimed to have trapped LTTE chief V Prabhakaran in a small area near to Mullaittivu town. The LTTE chief is said to be holding some hostages so as to bargain his freedom in exchange of their lives.

The decisive push by the Sri Lankan Army was confirmed by defence spokesperson Laxman Hullgale, who said, “The Sri Lankan government’s operation against the rebellion LTTE cadres is almost over. Our troops are fast closing-in on Prabhakarn’s hideout.”

The reports coming from the area also suggested that nearly 10,000 villagers are still trapped in the war zone are being held at gun point by the rebels.

But the Tamil Tigers are still putting up stiff resistance despite calls for their surrender.

The Army said the guerrillas controlled a mere 10-12 square kilometres (around four square miles) of territory on the northeast coast, where thousands of civilians are still trapped by the fighting. Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the island's military spokesman, said the Tigers were using artillery and tanks.

"There are sporadic clashes but our priority is to get the civilians out. We can finish them off very quickly after the civilians get out of the way," he said.

"We can claim we have completely defeated the Tigers when we have captured the remaining area."

The rebels have been repeatedly accused of using civilians as human shields. Around 100,000 people have managed to escape rebel-held territory this week, and it was unclear how many were still trapped in the war zone.

President Mahinda Rajapakse has told the rebels to give up, but has ruled out any amnesty for rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, who has led a ruthless decades-long battle for a separate Tamil homeland.

The UN Security Council president also said on Wednesday that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) must now give up.

"We demand that the LTTE immediately lay down arms," said the current council president, Mexico's UN ambassador Claude Heller, following an informal discussion on Sri Lanka by the council.

There was no immediate comment from the rebels.

The Sri Lankan army has made steady advances in recent months, slowly beating back the guerrillas who at one time controlled more than one-third of the island, and the government insists the rebels are now all but finished.

On Wednesday, two senior Tiger officials -- including their spokesman and main contact with the outside world, Velayudam Dayanidi -- surrendered to government forces.

This was seen as a blow to the LTTE, whose members are under orders to commit suicide by cyanide capsule rather than give themselves up.

But as the army has slowly pinned the guerrillas down in the narrow strip of coastal jungle, the international spotlight has focused on the fate of civilians caught up in a conflict that has claimed an estimated 70,000 lives.

State television has shown thousands of people waiting for food; desperate civilians trudging through waist-deep water to get to safety; and a young woman giving birth on a bus carrying displaced civilians away from the war zone.
"This is such a terrible humanitarian tragedy," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

"We have been pressing the Sri Lankan government for a halt in the fighting so that we could secure a safe passage for as many of the trapped civilians as possible."

The Tigers have acknowledged losing ground but have accused the government of killing 1,000 civilians in recent days. The military for its part said fleeing non-combatants were fired on by the rebels.

The rival claims are hard to verify as independent reporters are not allowed into the area, but aid agencies have painted a grim picture.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says the situation in the north is "nothing short of catastrophic," while Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said one hospital in the northern Vavuniya area was "saturated" with patients coming from the conflict area.

"The buses are still coming and they're actually unloading dead bodies at times as some wounded people died on the way," said Karen Stewart, an MSF mental health officer.

UN Security Council on Thursday asked the Tamil Tigers to immediately surrender, renounce terrorism and join the political process through dialogue to put an end to the decades old ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.

"We demand that the LTTE immediately lay down arms, renounce terrorism, allow a UN assisted evacuation of the remaining civilians in the conflict area, and join the political process through dialogue," UNSC President Claude Heller, who is also Mexican Ambassador, told reporters today after a meeting convened at the request of France.

The meeting of the 15-member council discussed the current crisis in Sri Lanka in the wake of the human rights groups raising concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian condition in the conflict zone in the island nation and avoid the possibility of "blood bath" in terms of an UN official.

Heller's remarks expresses the sentiments of the Security Council members and does not hold any official clout unlike in the case of a Presidential Statement; on which there was an apparent differences among the five veto-wielding members of the council - the US, France, Britain, China and Russia.

Expressing concern over the humanitarian situation in the Wanni region and the plight of the civilians trapped within the conflict zone, Heller said the Security Council calls on all member states to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the trapped civilians.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's envoy Vijay Nambiar, who recently visited Sri Lanka and held talks with the President Mahinda Rajapaksa Government, briefed the council on the situation there. Sri Lankan Ambassador to the UN HMGS Palihakkara also briefed the council.

The council members, Heller said strongly condemn the LTTE terrorist organisation for the use of civilians as human shields and for not allowing them to leave the conflict zone.

The council also urged all parties including the Sri Lankan government to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and to allow aid agencies access to those affected by the fighting.

Welcoming the news that the tens of thousands of civilians have escaped from the conflict area in the past few days, the Council members urged that further steps be taken to allow the safe evacuation of the remaining civilians to provide them the necessary protection and assistance.

"We express also the importance of the UN role in assisting the Sri Lankan government in attending the present humanitarian crisis under the present dramatic circumstances," he said, adding that we expect also that the Sri Lanka government will support the UN team that is in the field.