| |
Statement by UN
Saturday, 6 January 2007 - 4:20 AM SL Time |  | |
The full UN statement read -
At least 14 civilians, including children, were killed this morning in north-western Sri Lanka during the aerial bombardment of the coastal village of Illupaikadavai, in Mannar District by the Sri Lankan Air Force. At least 35 additional civilian casualties have also been reported.
Some 3,000 civilians have been killed in the conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) since the resumption of armed hostilities in 2006, bringing the total number killed since the start of the conflict to 67,000.
`Sri Lankans continue to suffer deeply due to this conflict, and today`s loss of life is a source of deepest concern,` said Margareta Wahlstr�m, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator. `It is imperative that both sides to the conflict take all measures to fulfill their obligations under international law to protect civilians in this conflict; we have too often seen them fall short in this duty.`
The village of Illupaikadavai is in Manthai West, an area of Mannar District controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and in which more than 4,000 displaced Sri Lankans have sought shelter from the conflict since early 2006.
More than half a million Sri Lankans are displaced throughout the country -- nearly 213,000 of them newly displaced since the resumption of armed conflict in 2006. Additionally, 120,000 to 140,000 people remain displaced following the devastating 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which ravaged northern and western coastal areas of Sri Lanka, and nearly 315,000 remain displaced since previous stages of the conflict.
The United Nations calls once more for a cessation of hostilities between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and resumption of the peace process, and recalls the responsibility of all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and uphold international human rights and humanitarian law.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also remains concerned about deteriorating livelihoods on the Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka -- home to more than 500,000 civilians -- as well as all those who have been displaced in the country. Limited access by land to the peninsula has impeded the population from receiving sufficient food, medicine and other essential supplies since August 2006. The Government of Sri Lanka has recently committed to improve the supply by sea and local distribution networks.
|
Source(s)
lankaenews |
DVLADV
Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2177
Member Profile
|
5 Jan 2007 22:22:05 GMT Report for Abuse
|
| This is not reporting what GOSL or LTTE said but uptting the UN stamp to its findings. |
tamilcanuck
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 11816
Member Profile
|
5 Jan 2007 22:45:45 GMT Report for Abuse
|
| Just issuing statements without backing it up is of NO value! IMHO! |
DVLADV
Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2177
Member Profile
|
5 Jan 2007 23:03:34 GMT Report for Abuse
|
| Although statements by it self does not do much it does influence the public opinion of world leaders. These statements along with non-corporative attitude of states that result the international community finally deciding to take action to avoid major disaster. |
DVLADV
Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2177
Member Profile
|
5 Jan 2007 23:53:34 GMT Report for Abuse
|
If this is LTTE's strategy then it is a good one, because winning by war you could win land but not recognition. But if by chance if UN is to get involved and some settlement as a result along with it would be recognition and tool for reconstruction.
I agree there will be a lot of lives lost but this approach wont be any different from having a all out war in relation to the casualties. But I don't think LTTE has the stomach to wait idle while civilians get slaughtered.
Minimum activity of LTTE could be that they have lost the ability or they are doing what EU and other states asked them to do in order to lift the ban. If it is so, sooner than later they will make a statement that they have done everything asked of but GOSL or IC had not done anything to remedy the situation leaving them no option other than to protect their own. |
vimukthi
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1638
Member Profile
|
7 Jan 2007 20:00:16 GMT Report for Abuse
|
| At some point soon, once we have managed to reduce Kilinochi and Colombo to rubble, we will be colonized again. At least we were all good at licking the suddhas butt. |
|
