The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is concerned that the final offensive in the area by government forces against fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) could lead to a dramatic increase in the number of civilian casualties. John Roycroft, Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross, explained, "the situation is now critical, and we fully
support the ICRC in its call to the conflict parties to take immediate action to prevent further mass casualties among civilians."At the moment there is intense fighting in a very
small area overcrowded with civilians who have fled there. As conditions worsen, John Roycroft said "the ongoing fighting has killed or wounded hundreds of civilians who have very limited access
to medical care, our priority right now must be to provide services and relief for civilians still trapped in this area. In order to do so it is imperative that organisations such as the ICRC be
allowed safe access in order to provide life saving services and relief for innocent men, women and children still trapped in the 'no-fire' zone"The ICRC has reminded both parties of
their obligation to comply with International Humanitarian Law in all circumstances and to treat captured combatants humanely. In the current context, which is exceptional in that combat is occurring
in a very densely populated area, extreme precautions must be taken to avoid or in any event minimize civilian casualties.Pierre Krahenbuhl, the ICRC's director of operations, said,
"the LTTE must keep its fighters and other military resources well away from places where civilians are concentrated, and allow civilians who want to leave the area to do so safely," The ICRC also pointed out that government forces must ensure that the methods and means of warfare they employ make it possible to clearly distinguish at all times between civilians and civilian
objects, on the one hand, and military objectives, on the other.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Malaysian Indians of Tamil ethnicity demonstrate in front of a poster with pictures of Sri Lankan and Indian government leaders during a protest outside the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur ...
