US troops planning evacuation in Sri Lanka

A Washington-based Sri Lankan non-governmental organisation on Monday claimed the US Pacific Command (PACOM) is planning to lead an evacuation of nearly 200,000 Tamil civilians trapped in the war-torn northern region of the country.

"Reports reveal that PACOM is planning to evacuate these civilians and deliver them to the Sri Lankan government – who would then imprison them in concentration-style internment camps," the People for Equality and Relief in Sri Lanka (PEARL), alleged in a statement.

"PACOM evacuating these Tamil civilians is equivalent to signing their death warrants. These people have been bombed for months by this genocidal government; evacuating them from Vanni and delivering them to the Sri Lankan government is equivalent to being an accomplice to genocide," PEARL representative Rosha Hebsur charged.

Instead of an evacuation, PEARL has asked the US government to expand the "safe zone" these civilians are in, and strengthen their security by allowing aid workers, scribes and human rights monitors full access to the region.

PEARL has also urged the US government to pressure the Sri Lankan government to accept a ceasefire to provide respite to these besieged civilians.