Sri Lanka urged to protect Tamil civilians
Pranab Mukherjee, India's foreign minister, sought assurances from the Sri Lankan government during a rushed visit to Colombo that it would protect Tamil civilians as the island's military closed in on separatist rebels.
Aid agencies have warned of a humanitarian disaster as the Sri Lankan army tightens its hold on the last pocket of territory held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who are fighting for an independent homeland in the island's north and east.
"An estimated 250,000 people are trapped in a 250 square-kilometre area which has come under intense fighting. They have no safe area to take shelter and are unable to flee," said the International Committee of the Red Cross in a statement.
Mr Mukherjee left Sri Lanka yesterday after meeting Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's president, amid growing political pressure in India for the central government to put pressure on Colombo to protect ethnic Tamil civilians.
Politicians of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the ruling party in India's Tamil Nadu state, have threatened to withdraw from the Congress party-led ruling coalition in New Delhi if the -government does not do more to safeguard Sri Lankan Tamils.
Tamil Nadu, which lies across the narrow Palk Strait that separates Sri Lanka from south India, is home to 60m ethnic Tamils. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a big partner of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. Congress will need its support in national elections expected in April.
The growing concern in India over the fate of Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamils comes after a series of military successes over the Tigers by the Colombo government of Mr Rajapaksa, who has staked his political future on defeating the separatists.
The army at the weekend entered Mullaitivu, the last town controlled by the rebels and an important naval base, and have now encircled them inside a pocket in the north-east.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said that hospitals and ambulances had been hit by shelling and aid workers were injured in the fighting, preventing it from operating in the region.
"When the dust settles, we may see countless victims and a terrible humanitarian situation, unless civilians are protected and international humanitarian law is respected in all circumstances," said Jacques de Maio, the Red Cross's head of operations for south Asia, in Geneva.
The Sri Lanka government said that during the meeting with Mr Mukherjee, Mr Rajapaksa said the military would "minimise" the effect of the conflict on the Tamil population.
Sreejith.P
Research Analyst.,
RedEggInfoExpert USA (I) Ltd.
+919442718079
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