The Sri Lankan government issued a stark warning to Tamil civilians living in Vanni, raising fears that the Sri Lankan military is planning to step up artillery and aerial bombardment leading to even more civilian casualties.
A government statement said the fight against the Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was at "the decisive stage" and that it could not guarantee the security of tens of thousands of non-combatants living outside a designated "safety zone" in LTTE-held territory.
"The government calls on all civilians to enter the demarcated 'safety zone' as soon as possible," the statement said.
"The government cannot be responsible for the safety and security of civilians still living among LTTE terrorists," it added.
Even though the Sri Lankan government unilaterally proposed the safety zone, its military has repeatedly targeted the area in the past week killing and wounding scores of civilians including children.
On Monday February 2, alone Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired More than 5,000 artillery shells and Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) rockets throughout the whole day from all directions into the safety zone.
At least one hundred civilians could have been killed or maimed in the indiscriminate barrage. The casualties are uncountable as the whole population is forced to reside inside the bunkers throughout the whole day
Furthermore, whilst the Sri Lankan government wants civilians to move into the safety zone, it has prevented international relief agencies operating within the zone.
On Tuesday, January 27 SLA instructed UN and World Food Programme officials to keep away from 'safety zone,' which has been subjected to continuous artillery barrage, denying civilians any meaningful space of refuge, said the latest reports from the offices of the Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) for Kilinochchi and Mullaiththeevu.
"Completely given up by the International Community, the civilians are left to face the fate at the hands of their genocidal killers. Indications are that they would rather choose to die starving rather than getting caught by Colombo's army of predators," said a medical staff at Udaiyaarkaddu hospital.
"These are people who have maternal attachment to their land and freedom."
"If the abettors of Colombo's war, India and especially the Co-chairs, do not change their attitude, these people would face hunger and death. The situation is worse than what the world has witnessed in Congo and other countries in the Africa," he said.
"They think people would walk into the hands of the SLA as they were forced to do in Sampoor and Vaakarai, but they fail to grasp the reality.
"These are people who have maternal attachment to their land and freedom."
"If the abettors of Colombo's war, India and especially the Co-chairs, do not change their attitude, these people would face hunger and death. The situation is worse than what the world has witnessed in Congo and other countries in the Africa," he said.
"They think people would walk into the hands of the SLA as they were forced to do in Sampoor and Vaakarai, but they fail to grasp the reality.
