17.9.2008
Australia
based Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri
Lanka (SPUR) has called for the immediate release of all
civilians held captive in LTTE areas, and demanded that
they be granted safe passage, so that they can be provided
with food, shelter and healthcare.
In
a media release, SPUR has appealed to all NGOs and other
aid agencies to move away from the battle zone in order
to prevent another massacre of their personnel by the
LTTE in an attempt to discredit the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.
SPUR
has also appealed to the Tamil diaspora to Impress on
the LTTE’s overseas support Lobby that Tamil Tigers
must immediately cease all forms of terrorism, release
its child soldiers and set a timetable for the decommissioning
of arms before it can be considered as a credible participant
in any future political negotiations.
Given
below the full text of the media release by Ranjit Soysa,
the spokesperson of SPUR:
The
Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka
(SPUR) deplores the ongoing campaign of terror waged for
nearly three decades by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) against the people of Sri Lanka and their
elected representatives in an attempt to carve out an
ethnically cleansed separate state from the island of
Sri Lanka (which is smaller than Tasmania).
SPUR
also condemns the LTTE for its use of the captive Tamil
civilian population as a bargaining chip in its battle
for survival against the Sri Lankan security forces, and
calls on the International Community including Australia
to exert pressure on the LTTE to allow the free movement
of civilians from the conflict zones to enable them to
reach the safe areas provided by the Government of Sri
Lanka.
Safe
Passage for Civilians held captive by the LTTE
Over
the past two years, the Sri Lankan security forces have
liberated large tracts of territory previously held by
the Tigers. In particular, the entire Eastern Province
of Sri Lanka was freed from the Tigers, and Provincial
Council Elections held for the first time in two decades.
It is now under civil administration, and incorporates
a multi-ethnic Council headed by a Tamil Chief Minister.
In
the Northern Province too, the Tigers are under heavy
pressure, and have been driven out from a number of key
towns. However, unlike in the multi-ethnic East which
provided relatively safe escape routes from LTTE areas,
the Tamil civilians in the remaining Tiger areas of the
North are forcibly taken along by retreating LTTE cadres
when they relinquish territory to the Sri Lankan security
forces. This deliberate tactic serves the LTTE in a number
of ways. In addition to being a source of child conscripts,
the ‘captive’ population is exploited by illegal
taxation and used as manual labour for the construction
of bunkers and trenches as the Tiger leadership prepares
to defend the last areas remaining in their control.
Furthermore,
the presence of Internally Displaced Tamil civilians in
conflict areas provides the LTTE with a ‘human shield’
and a powerful propaganda tool that is being exploited
by the Tiger fronts posing as community organisations
of the Tamil Diaspora and some sympathetic Non-Governmental
Organisations.
The
latest reports from Northern Sri Lanka also show that
the LTTE is utilising the assets of ‘captive’
aid agencies, including those funded by international
sources, to further their objectives. In particular, heavy
machinery and earth moving equipment commandeered from
aid groups have been photographed being used for the construction
of military defences.
The
Government of Sri Lanka and a number of non-LTTE Tamil
organisations have repeatedly requested the LTTE to allow
safe passage to Tamil civilians so that they can reach
non-conflict zones by designated routes. The Government,
which continues to provide health, education and other
services, as well as pay public service wages even in
LTTE areas, has now set up the infrastructure to handle
the expected flow of people away from the Tigers.
The
Government has also requested the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) to continue in its current role
of providing assistance to the people in Northern Sri
Lanka.
However,
Sri Lankan sources, including non-LTTE Tamils, have reported
that deterrents and punishments are meted out by the Tigers
to those who defy orders to ‘stay and defend the
homeland’.
These
include the loss of rations and privileges, public humiliation
as traitors, and summary transfers to the battlefront
to serve as ‘cannon fodder’ shielding regular
LTTE cadres.
Our
Appeal
Like
many Sri Lankans, SPUR believes that the LTTE is not only
the biggest impediment to peace in Sri Lanka, but is also
a player in the global terrorist network. It has pioneered
or used almost every terrorist tactic including suicide
bombings, blowing up of passenger aircraft, ships &
buses, assassination of political rivals including non-compliant
Tamils, arms, people & drug smuggling, and the ethnic
cleansing of Sinhala and Muslims civilians.
Hence,
we appeal to the International Community including Australia
to take the following urgent measures.
•
Call for the immediate release of all civilians held captive
in LTTE areas, and demand that they be granted safe passage
so that they can be provided with food, shelter and healthcare.
•
Request all NGOs and other aid agencies to move away from
the battle zone in order to prevent another massacre of
their personnel by the LTTE in an attempt to discredit
the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.
•
Impress on the LTTE and its overseas support Lobby that
Tamil Tigers must immediately cease all forms of terrorism,
release its child soldiers and set a timetable for the
decommissioning of arms before it can be considered as
a credible participant in any future political negotiations.
•
Continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the people
of Sri Lanka while ensuring that funds provided by donor
countries are not siphoned off by LTTE ‘front-organisations’.
Courtesy - Asian
Tribune