The Tamil homeland is witnessing one of the worst human tragedies of the 21st century said the Political Division of the Liberation Tigers in a statement issued in Tamil on Wednesday, February 11.
More than one-thousand civilians have been killed and four-thousand are struggling to recover from the injuries amid continuous artillery barrage, air attacks and cluster bombing by the Sinhala state, the LTTE statement said.
The LTTE statement categorically denied the Sri Lankan claim that a Tiger human bomb had recently attacked civilians.
"We are a liberation movement. Our fighters and the people are engaged in the struggle with total dedication and sacrifice. We categorically deny the charges that we carried out the uncivilised act," the statement said adding that it was the Sri Lankan government that has used internationally banned cluster bombs to attack civilians.
Several hundreds of civilians have been killed and maimed by the Sri Lankan bombardments, it said. The Tiger statement urged the International Community to be aware of the false propaganda of the Sri Lankan state.
"The Sri Lankan military, after demarcating an area with pockets of land as safe zone and creating an illusion of security in the minds of people, let loose a relentless campaign of bombardment on them. The resulting carnage was witnessed by the UN and ICRC representatives," the statement said.
"The Sinhala state has blocked access to media; communication links with outside world are cut off; International Non Governmental Organisations were ordered leave by Colombo; International human rights monitors are not allowed to visit our territory; Medical supplies are banned; Many civilians die every day; Even the ICRC representatives are forced to leave the area by the Sri Lankan state; People wander from place to place seeking refuge and are forced to lead a life worse than animals in the marsh and jungles of Vanni," the statement added.
All the countries of the world that condemn the ongoing humanitarian tragedy, should also come forward to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan state to immediately agree on a ceasefire and engage in negotiations to resolve the conflict, said the statement of the political division of the LTTE.
Meanwhile, the LTTE also denied targeting civilians.
Categorically denying reports by the Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo that the Tigers had fired at the fleeing civilians in Vanni, Puthukkudiyiruppu Divisional Political Head of the LTTE, C. Ilamparithy told TamilNet the same day that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commando teams had entered the 'safety zone' in Udaiyaarkaddu and Chuthanthirapuram and had opened fire killing civilians and causing injuries to many in their attempt to forcibly move the civilians into the hands of the SLA.
"Sri Lankan military machinery, which has relentlessly killed and maimed thousands of civilians during the past four weeks, is now engaged in a propaganda drive to divert the mounting pressure on the Colombo government by the International Community," Mr. Ilamparithy charged.
"Our political head has repeatedly urged the International Community to act to ensure the safety of the civilians, their access to humanitarian supplies and medical care," said the former LTTE political head of the Jaffna district.
"The 'safety zone' unilaterally announced by the Colombo government has been turned to a killing field by the Sri Lankan military," he said and called on the International Community to act fast to ensure "an internationally guaranteed and protected safety zone for Vanni civilians in the very place where they live."
Ilamparithy was engaged in organising refuges for civilians who were fleeing further into LTTE controlled territory in Puthukkudiyiruppu.
"Colombo is committing the worst crimes of humanity, by killing and maiming hundreds of civilians every day within the 'safety zone', and by indiscriminately bombing medical installations," he said and added that by refusing to allow humanitarian supplies to thousands of people, the Rajapaksa regime was using food and medicine as weapons of war.
"The people of Tamil Nadu and the diaspora Tamils, fully aware of the plight of their brethren, have been exerting pressure on the IC to act before it is too late."
"As pressure is mounting on all fronts, the Colombo government has let lose vicious propaganda," he said.
The International Community must ensure presence of international protection and monitoring authorities to assure the safety of the civilians, including the wounded patients and their guardians who accompany them, Ilamparithy said.
"The civilians are scared of the reports of torture, harassment and separation of young members of the civilian population from their families at the internment camps of the SLA."
