TULF leader calls for protection of civilians

(February 17, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) V. Anandasangaree, President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) yesterday urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to direct armed forces to restrain from any further aerial bombing and also to stop firing shells and artillery attacks enabling civilians to leave the area.

“The capture of the remaining areas could wait till all the trapped persons are brought out safely, while the war goes on”, Mr. Anandasangree said in a letter to President Rajapaksa.

The text of the letter follows;

“With great concern and deep sorrow, I wish to bring to your notice the disturbing manner in which the causality rate, among the innocent civilians trapped in Vanni, has all of a sudden shot up during the past two to three weeks. This is disproportionate to what had been taking place since the forces moved into Vanni. As you are aware I am one who never differentiate between two communities. Life is precious whether it belongs to a Tamil, a Sinhalese or a Muslims. In a war situation like this, I do not expect the Forces to be always at the receiving end without retaliating. They are at the battle front fighting in defence of their mother-land. Contrary to this, the LTTE cadre is fighting on the orders of their arrogant leader, who knows well that the war is almost lost. They are not to question why but to do and die without any consideration for the safety of the civilians, whom they have detained under compulsion for their own protection.

But your Excellency your Government has a sacred duty to safeguard its innocent citizens at any cost. The Government forces have very creditably liberated a larger portion of the civilians and the territory the LTTE had under their control. The good name that the Forces earned all these days by sacrificing a good number of their comrades, is now at stake due to the escalation of deaths among the civilians. I quite understand the change of circumstances during the last lap of the war. The area still under the control of the LTTE had shrunk considerably and the congestion within has probably resulted in the disproportionate increase in the causalities. I do not think that this is due to the over-enthusiasm of the forces to bring the war to an end soon.

The number of deaths during a period of two weeks from October 24, 2008 to 9th November was only 8 and the number injured was 29. But the total deaths during last week was 288 and the number injured was 766, Last Saturday it was 55 and 109 respectively. It is indeed shocking and will also seriously affect the image of the Forces who had been helping the stranded and injured persons and those fleeing from the LTTE areas into cleared areas. This massacre of civilians should stop forthwith, to win the confidence of the civilians who had suffered untold hardships for several years in the LTTE held areas and more particularly during the past few months living in constant fear of shelling and artillery attacks.

I very strongly urge that the Forces be asked to restrain from any further aerial bombing and also to stop firing shells and artillery attacks. The capture of the remaining areas could wait till all the trapped persons are brought out safely, while the war goes on.

You are not unaware, Your Excellency, how vehemently I had been defending the Government against the charge of annihilation of Tamils which the LTTE had very successfully used for their advantage, all over the world.”.


-Sri Lanka Guardian