Hundreds dead as Sri Lankan military creates humanitarian disaster

[Alamuti Lotus]

Source: WSWS

The Sri Lankan military offensive aimed at destroying the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has produced a humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of people trapped by the fighting. While journalists are barred from the front lines, reports are filtering out of hundreds of civilian deaths, with many more injured and in need of urgent medical help.

After the capture of the last LTTE stronghold of Mullaithivu on Sunday, the army has been tightening its noose around LTTE fighters, who are now confined to an area—some 25 kilometres by 10 kilometres—to the north of the town. As has been the case in the previous 30 months of fighting, the military is resorting to the indiscriminate use of artillery and aerial bombardment to weaken the LTTE and terrorise the local population.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated yesterday that hundreds of civilians have been killed in recent days. The estimate was based on body counts by ICRC staff at local hospitals. Access for aid workers is very limited and the toll could be far higher. The ICRC reported that the military had refused permission to evacuate 200 critically wounded people yesterday and warned that without urgent treatment they would die.

ICRC head of operations for South Asia, Jacques de Maio, told the media: "People are being caught in the crossfire, hospitals and ambulances have been hit by shelling, and several aid workers have been injured while evacuating the wounded. When the dust settles, we may see countless victims and a terrible humanitarian situation."

Media coverage of the crisis is sketchy. Since re-launching the war against the LTTE in July 2006, the government and military have banned journalists from the fighting areas and imposed what amounts to a blackout on all news unfavourable to the army's offensives. Journalists even mildly critical of the military and government have been threatened, abducted and killed by military-sponsored death squads.

The military routinely denies allegations of atrocities and, like the Israeli armed forces, blames the LTTE for using civilians as "human shields". But for all its protestations of not targetting civilians, the army is deeply imbued with anti-Tamil chauvinism and regards the Tamil minority as a whole as the enemy. The military has established a cordon around the battle zone, interrogating anyone who attempts to flee, detaining anyone regarded as an LTTE suspect and barring basic humanitarian supplies, including medicines, from entering.

Read more: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/sril-j28.shtml

[Mudoria]

1. I'm guessing we won't see any widespread

protest rallies in London against this eh?

[The Stranger]

2. Do you think the BBC won't allow it to be called a "humanitarian crisis"?

Or refuse to broadcast pleas for assistance?

Eh?

[acmavm]

4. No shitskis! Wow, what the hell did that have to do with anything? Did I

miss something? What does the BBC have to do with this? This is just one of MANY instances where civilians are dying while the predators fight for power.

[aquart]

3. Nope. None of them are Jews.

[Alamuti Lotus]

5. don't hijack this subject, please.

[SharonAnn]

6. Is there a "good side" in this war? Aren't both the government and the "Tigers" bad?

[Crunchy Frog]

7. I'm guessing we won't see anyone on DU

trying to defend the righteousness of the Sri Lankan military, or calling people bigots for daring to mention civilian casualties.