(May 10, Jaffna, Sri Lanka Guardian) "More than 2,000 innocent civilians have been killed in the last 24 hours. The wholesale bombardment by Sri Lankan planes and shelling on a densely populated, non combatant civilian safe zone is state terrorism and a war crime," said S. Pathmanathan, the LTTE head of international relations on Sunday (May 10) . "The Tamil people are dismayed that the United Nations and the International Community have failed in their obligations to protect the endangered civilians. [...] We only ask for an impartial relief effort similar to those extended to other international conflict zones by the UN and the international community in the recent past," he further said.Full text of the statement of Mr. Selvarasa Pathmanathan follows:
At this very moment (Sunday, May 10 2009), the Sri Lankan Government has unleashed its ferocious military aggression against the hapless Tamil civilians living in the so-called "Safe Zone" in Vanni, Sri Lanka. More than 2,000 innocent civilians have been killed in the last 24 hours. The wholesale bombardment by Sri Lankan planes and shelling on a densely populated, non combatant civilian safe zone is state terrorism and a war crime.
The international community and UN have an obligation to protect the Tamil people facing genocidal aggression directed in a manner against all international humanitarian laws. It is clear that the Sri Lankan Government has prevented all aid agencies and humanitarian organisations from visiting the conflict zone. The Tamil people are dismayed that the United Nations and the International Community have failed in their obligations to protect the endangered civilians. Every passing day is resulting in the loss of countless number of civilian lives and alienation of the entire Tamil community.
We would like to point out that starvation of civilians, as a method of warfare, constitutes an act of genocide (as defined by Article II(c) of the 1948 Genocide Convention) and a war crime. We urge the UN and the International Community to prevail upon the Sri Lankan Government without any further delay to stop using food and medicine as weapons in this war. A shortage in drinking water, food supply, medicines, shelter materials and fuel weigh heavily upon an already beleaguered people.
Throughout the entire existence of our liberation struggle, we have always extended our most courteous cooperation to the humanitarian relief organisations that have sought to provide relief for our people. Even in this extreme circumstances and escalated conflict we guarantee safe passage and no threat to any humanitarian relief effort that the UN and related agencies may undertake in the conflict zone.
We urge the world to seek similar assurances from the Government of Sri Lanka and immediately put in place relief efforts to provide food and much needed medical relief to the Tamil people enduring untold hardship in the conflict zone and the IDP camps. We only ask for an impartial relief effort similar to those extended to other international conflict zones by the UN and the international community in the recent past.-Sri Lanka Guardian
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One thing we have to give full credit to these LTTE guys is for still trying to con people of the world. All these years they have done that to their own people and managed to mislead some of the world leaders too. All of a sudden they are remembering world regulations and human suffering. They have forgotten the pain and suffering they given to many thousands of people of Sri Lanka by killing innocent children, women including pregnant women, old men and women, going into poor villages and killing harmless people in their hundreds. What about their own Tamil people that have killed for disagreeing with their Psychopathic leader's brutal ideas? How about the suffering of the families of those who were killed by these killers? Where were you then?
How come the forces have killed exactly 2000 people in the no fire zone? That no fire zone is only for innocent people and these ruthless LTTE killers should not have gone into that area taking the innocent people as hostages and human shields in the first place. Then nothing like this would have happened. All these years LTTE boasted that they are powerful and can destroy the forces anytime, anywhere. So, what happen to those powers now?
If you are so concern about those innocent people, for god sake let them get out of that area and face the forces directly as men and not hide behind innocent children and women.
All this mayhem has happened because of LTTE holding on to the civilians. Why does not Mr. Pathmanathan influence the LTTE to release the innocent civilians and also do not attack them in order to create international sympathy. If the Tamils are killed in big numbers it will be an advantage for LTTE to gain international sympathy. I fear LTTE will massacre a large number of civilians and blame the government for it to win sympathy from international community.
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