Even as his humanitarian affairs chief warned of an impending ‘bloodbath’ in Sri Lanka, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon refused to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
According to an Inner City Press (ICP) news report, following Sri Lankan government’s fierce resistance to his call for a ‘ceasefire on February 23, Ban does not want to call even for a humanitarian pause.
Meanwhile, in a commentary for Britain's Guardian newspaper, John Holmes, the U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, wrote on Wednesday, April 8, that "a bloodbath on the beaches of northern Sri Lanka seems an increasingly real possibility".
Like his boss, Holmes also indicated that UN has resigned from attempting to secure a long term ceasefire from Sri Lankan government and hoped for a temporary halt to hostilities.
"As a full-scale, long-term ceasefire is unlikely to be agreed now, the only way to get the civilians out of harm's way is a temporary humanitarian lull, during which aid workers and relief supplies must be allowed into the conflict zone, and those who want to leave must be given the chance to do so," wrote Holmes.
With the situation for civilians living in Vanni, in Northeast Sri Lanka, growing direr by the day, Ban on April 7 was asked if he would call for a ceasefire.
Ban's 127-word answer, while describing two phone calls to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, did not use the word ceasefire, or even Ban's previous phrases, a suspension of fighting or humanitarian pause, reported ICP.
When ICP sought clarification stating ‘it is unclear whether you are asking actually for a ceasefire’ Ban responded by saying: "hope that the Sri Lankan Government takes all necessary measures so that these civilians can move freely, without any danger, without threat, to the safety zone."
Commenting on UN strategy in Sri Lanka ICP said, in recent week’s UN approach has been to put more pressure on the LTTE than the government.
A senior UN official confirmed this to ICP saying ‘since the government of Sri Lanka has so openly ignored Ban's calls: to pressure instead the Tamil Tigers and their supporters overseas, threatening prosecutions, and to "lay off" the government’.
This was evident when UN Spokesman Farhan Haq read out a statement that the LTTE are violating international humanitarian law, while the government is merely "reminded of its obligations."
ICP also noted that a statement by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs described "aerial bombing of the No-Fire Zone" in northern Sri Lanka, but stopped short of naming the perpetrator.
Particularly given the reports that the Tamil Tigers' air force has been destroyed, to say "aerial bombing" is to say "Sri Lankan government", ICP noted said.
Given the number of deaths that have been caused by shelling and aerial bombing by the government, to "lay off" is to be complicit, ICP concluded.
