Civilians pay the price of conflict in Sri Lanka

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On more than one occasion in Sri Lanka's long drawn out ethnic conflict, government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - commonly known as the Tigers - have been locked in a stand-off. And civilians living in the area have been caught in the crossfire and used as the "sand bags" with which the Tigers barricade themselves.

Tigers in a corner, civilians feel the squeeze

The situation is no different this time around - military forces are reported to have cornered the Tigers to an area less than 150 square miles in the northeast region of the country, where the rebels held sway until recently. Caught in the midst are an estimated 250,000 civilians, a number heavily disputed by the government that claims that there are about 100,000 still in the area. The contention however is not the numbers, but the humanitarian crisis that has evolved since the commencement of the standoff.

With shells falling on the Puthukudiyirippu Hospital, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the only aid agency that stood its ground and refused to leave when INGOs and NGOs were ordered out of the conflict zone by the government, has been able to move patients and civilians to safer areas.

Situation critical for Red Cross

However, after its head office in Colombo was surrounded and had stones hurled at it on Friday, Feb. 6, and with a government Member of Parliament, Wimal Weerawansa, calling for the deportation of the Head of Delegation, it is doubtful whether even the little assistance that the ICRC has been able to extend to the civilians will continue. The Health Ministry, meanwhile has also taken the ICRC to task for referring to the situation in area as being critical.

As the humanitarian crisis gathered momentum and Diaspora Tamils led protests in major cities around the world, the donour co-chairs, Japan, Norway, the U.S. and the EU urged both parties, in a statement, "not to fire out of or into the no-fire zone established by the Government or in the vicinity of the PTK hospital (or any other medical structure), where more than 500 patients are receiving care and many hundreds more have sought refuge." The co-chairs also called on both sides "to allow food and medical assistance to reach those trapped by fighting, cooperate with the ICRC to facilitate the evacuation of urgent medical cases, and ensure the safety of aid and medical workers."

"The LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka must respect international humanitarian law. International efforts to persuade the LTTE to allow the civilians freedom of movement have failed. There remains probably only a short period of time before the LTTE loses control of all areas in the North. The LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka should recognize that further loss of life - of civilians and combatants - will serve no cause." A similar statement was also made by Canada.

These calls seem to have fallen on deaf ears. For their part, the government did declare a 48-hour period, apparently at the insistence of the Indian government [2], during which time civilians were told to leave the battle zone. Up to now around 15,000, a fraction of the total, are reported to have fled.

Government denies civilian casualties

While the rebels have consistently used civilians in the conflict zone to further their cause, the present regime of President Mahinda Rajapakse and his powerful brothers have shown little or no concern for those caught in the midst of battle. At a recent media briefing government minister and Defence spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella, played down the crisis, stating that there is no proof the casualties are actually civilians [3].

The Rajapakse regime, meanwhile, has continued its war on any form of dissent, and turned a blind eye to the use of terror tactics on anyone who dares to protest. While independent verification of details of the war is not allowed, media persons, peace activists, aid workers etc., have been beaten into submission, through killings, abductions and in some instances jail. This is a mirror image of the behaviour of LTTE, who also do not take kindly to criticism.

Government spin: If you are not with us, you are with the Tigers

In an interview with the BBC, the presidential sibling and current defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, said that in this war there are only two sides [4]. His interpretation, an ideology that has been infused amongst much of the Lankan population, is that if one does not blindly support the actions of the State, then one is a supporter of the Tamil Tigers. No moderate views are to be accommodated, nor are questions about military excesses, expenditures and police inaction to be asked.
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This time around, then, it seems that the government plans on abdicating its responsibility towards Tamil civilians caught in the crossfire, just as it has in the rest of the country where the rule of law has steadily become meaningless.

Perhaps it hopes that, with more Tamil civilian deaths, the claim for a homeland in the area heavily populated by that ethnic community could be thrown out the window.

Kshama Ranawana is a freelance writer, media ethics trainer and activist.

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