12 December 2006
Sri Lanka’s military continued its assault against the LTTE-held Vaharai region over the weekend, killing scores of Tamil civilians with air and artillery strikes. The United Nations and international ceasefire monitors protested the targeting of civilians.
Ever since tens of thousands of Tamils who fled earlier Sri Lankan military offensives in Trincomalee arrived in Vaharai, in northern Batticaloa, the government has cut off supplies of food and medicine to the impoverished region, creating a humanitarian crisis.
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| The ICRC was loading wounded refugees into boats on the Vaharai coast when Sri Lankan artillery began to explode nearby. Photo TamilNet |
There are over 45,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Vaharai area, which has been under siege for three months.
But only one convoy has been allowed to Vaharai since October 30.
Even then, 30 of the trucks carrying food in that convoy were not allowed by the military to proceed across the border. Those that got through brought enough food for two weeks at most.
Whilst maintaining the economic embargo, despite international disquiet, the Sri Lankan government has continued daily bombardment and repeated offensives to overrun the LTTE-held region.
Over 40 civilians were killed by Sri Lankan artillery over the weekend as the military launched another determined effort to capture Vaharai.
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive from south of Vaharai along the costal line towards Panichchankerni was defeated Sunday.
The assault failed to break through LTTE resistance. At least 28 Sri Lankan soldiers and 16 Tigers were killed based on each side’s admission of losses Sunday.
The Army claimed to have killed 40 Tigers and the LTTE said 53 SLA soldiers had been killed, including 30 in Saturday’s fighting.
The Army claimed it had been restrained in its use of heavy firepower for fear of killing Tamil civilians.
But civilians bore the brunt of the Sri Lankan onslaught.
On Sunday 19 civilians were killed by Sri Lankan shelling and 50 were wounded, 27 critically.
On Saturday at least 15 civilians, including a 6-month-old baby, were killed and 41 wounded, ten critically, when the military shelled IDP camps in Vammivedduvan and Palchenai.
Many more were feared dead and wounded. Refugees told medical workers that dead bodies were being buried as they were fleeing from artillery fire.
On Sunday, the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) appealed for the SLMM and aid workers to be allowed in.
“Over 30 shells have landed close to the Vaharai Hospital in the past few hours and six TRO-run Camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the area have received direct hits from shells,” the TRO said.
On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was allowed by the military to evacuate 30 wounded civilians, including seven children.
A cluster of seven boats moved them from Vaharai to a hospital in government-controlled Valaichenai to the south.
But even as the boats were being loaded, Sri Lanka artillery shells exploded nearby, compelling the ICRC to abandon another task – the recovery of the bodies of 4 SLA soldiers left behind on Sunday.
"Many difficulties had to be overcome to organize this evacuation", said Martin de Boer, head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Batticaloa, who led the operation.
"But thanks to the security guarantees provided by both parties to the conflict, we finally succeeded in reaching Vaharai hospital and evacuating the most serious cases. However, other more injured civilians are waiting to be evacuated".
The ICRC reminded both parties “of their obligation to comply with international humanitarian law.
“[We] urgently calls upon both parties to ensure the protection of the civilian population as well as to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. Finally [we] urge the parties to respect the freedom of movement of internally displaced people,” the ICRC said.
The Batticaloa district Parliamentarian, S. Jeyanandamoorthy, condemned the Sri Lankan government for waging a “coward’s war” against civilians.
In comments Sunday he also condemned the international community for standing by and urged it "not to show bias in their condemnation of the attacks that targeted civilians."
He was referring to the prompt condemnation Friday of an LTTE artillery attack that hit a school and houses belonging to Sinhalese near the Kallaru SLA camp.
An estimated 3,000 Sinhalese fled the area and were receiving government and international assistance further away.
The Sri Lankan government flew journalists to the area to photograph the damaged houses and school.
"While the Government provides Sinhalese civilians of Sinhapura, Mahindapura, Somapura and Kallaru transport along the land route to the safe locations, it hesitates to even allow the critically wounded Tamil civilians in need of urgent medical treatment from Vaharai to Valaichenai or Batticaloa," Mr. Jeyanandamoorthy said,
"You don't serve peace if you fail to condemn the Sri Lankan government in strongest possible terms for engaging in aggression on civilian population," he said in an appeal to the international community.
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