Commonwealth Secretary-General on Sri Lanka - Stop Human Shield

15 May 2009 London

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has reiterated his deep concern at the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka as a result of the ongoing military conflict

He urged all sides to abide by the principles of international humanitarian law and, as the highest priority, to urgently ensure the safety of civilians trapped in the violent conflict. Further, he called for international humanitarian agencies to be granted access by the Sri Lankan government to provide relief to the civilians currently in dire need in the conflict zone, as well as to those in the Internally Displaced Persons camps. The safety of those in camps is also paramount.

“The extreme civilian suffering cannot be justified in any context”, Mr Sharma said.

The Secretary-General said he was deeply distressed by the worsening situation in Sri Lanka, including the recent reports of shelling of hospitals. He called for the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire to be addressed immediately and effectively. “I call on all concerned to respect the rights of civilians and allow the tens of thousands of trapped civilians to evacuate to safety ,” said Mr Sharma.

“ The LTTE must immediately stop the deplorable use of civilians as human shields, allow them to move to safety and lay down their arms.”

“The Sri Lankan Government should maintain its stated commitment not to engage in combat operations involving heavy weaponry in the conflict zone.”