This article appeared in The Hindu. Siritunga Jayasurya, General Secretary – United socialist Party (CWI – Sri Lanka) spoke at meeting jointly organized by New socialist Alternative on ongoing war against Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Group urged to send a fact-finding mission to Sri Lanka. ‘2,50,000 civilians still trapped in the northern part’
Expressing concern over the plight of innocent Tamils who are trapped in the on-going military conflict between Sri Lankan troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a leading politician from Sri Lanka has appealed to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to immediately despatch a fact-finding mission to the island-nation.
Addressing press persons here on Monday, general secretary of Sri Lanka’s United Socialist Party Siritunga Jayasuriya, who was also a candidate in the 2005 presidential elections, said an estimated 2,50,000 Tamil civilians were still trapped along with LTTE guerrillas in the northern part of the country.
“Around 50 to 100 innocent people are being killed every day. There are mounting fears of a horrific massacre if the Sri Lankan forces go for an all-out attack on the area,” he said.
The situation in the refugee camps set up to house the estimated 40,000 Tamils, who had voluntary come out of the war zone, was also grave.
“Several Tamils had been picked up from these high security refugee camps for questioning and they had not returned. Their whereabouts are not known”, he said and added that the Sri Lankan Government’s handling of the issue was against international norms for treatment of internally displaced people.
Mr. Jayasuriya pointed out that the Sri Lankan Government should respond to the ceasefire offer of the LTTE to end the bloodshed and come out with a political package on the Tamil issue.
“Sri Lankan Government should take measures to win the hearts and minds of Tamils”, he said.
Mr. Jayasuriya said the Indian Government, instead of issuing “ineffective statements”, should take “serious action.”
India should also send its fact-finding mission and stop extending logistic support to the Sri Lankan armed forces in its military onslaught.
Mr. Jayasuriya is on a visit to India as part of his campaign to mobilise support for peace in Sri Lanka.
His stopover in Bangalore was preceded by visits to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Delhi.
Phillip Mathew of South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) was present.