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U.S., UK call for a UN humanitarian team to visit Sri Lanka's conflict zone
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Colombo News Desk CND on 13 May, 2009 11:48:00
 
Issuing a joint statement U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Rodham Clinton and the
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called on both warring parties to
immediately end the hostilities and allow the safe evacuation of civilians out
of the no-fire zone.
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam must lay down their arms and allow
civilians free passage out of the conflict zone. The government of Sri Lanka
must abide by its commitment of April 27 to end major combat operations and the
use of heavy weapons," the statement said.
. The two officials, Clinton and Miliband held discussions on the humanitarian
situation in Sri Lanka yesterday (12) at the US State Department in Washington,
DC.
During their meeting today, Clinton and Miliband expressed "their profound
concern about the humanitarian crisis in northern Sri Lanka" due to the
continuing hostilities.
Their joint statement said that the two officials expressed alarm at the large
number of reported civilian causalities over the past several days in the
designated "safe" zone.
Expressing their appreciation for the continued efforts of the United Nations
and their staff on the ground in Sri Lanka, Clinton and Miliband urged both the
government and the LTTE to allow a UN humanitarian team to visit the conflict
zone to facilitate the safe evacuation of civilians.
They further urged "both sides to allow food and medical assistance to reach
those trapped by fighting, cooperate with the ICRC to facilitate the evacuation
of urgent medical cases, ensure the safety of aid and medical workers, and
permit humanitarian access to all sites where displaced persons are being
registered or being provided shelter."
"Secretary Clinton and Foreign Secretary Miliband call for a political solution
that reconciles all Sri Lankans, and establishes a meaningful role for Tamil and
other minorities in national political life," the joint statement said.
Meanwhile, at the daily press briefing on Tuesday, State Department Spokesman
Ian Kelly said Secretary Clinton had a meeting with the French Foreign Minister
Bernard Kouchner on Monday over the crisis in Sri Lanka.
Kouchner and Miliband earlier on Monday addressed an informal meeting on Sri
Lanka at the UN Security Council in New York. The two officials just returned
from a visit to Sri Lanka.
When asked what the U.S. can do resolve the deadlock in Sri Lanka, the spokesman
said there are two main channels and one is the diplomatic effort taking place
on a bilateral level at the UN to press the Sri Lankan government.
"And that, of course, is to try and press the Government of Sri Lanka to adhere
to international standards for the operations of camps, to press them to stop
the use of heavy weapons, to allow civilians to leave the conflict zone."
"And of course, the other track is to help these people, to provide humanitarian
assistance. And that would be best done, of course, in a coordinated fashion,
both through the UN and with our allies," the spokesman said.
Aid agencies and the United Nations say an estimated 50,000 civilians are being
held by the LTTE Tigers as a human shield in the 5 square kilometer no-fire
zone.
Media reports citing LTTE sources said hundreds of civilians were killed due to
the shelling by Sri Lankan military, a charge the Sri Lankan government has
vehemently denied.
The civilian casualty figures in the no-fire zone cannot be verified as
journalists are barred from the conflict zone. However, civilians escaped from
the war-zone say the Tigers are firing at the fleeing civilians.
Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary on Tuesday said the troops have surrounded the
no-fire zone and the military would neutralize the LTTE activities in the next
48 hours, paving the way for the release of civilians being held hostage by the
terrorists.