EU Foreign Ministers condemn the weekend massacre in Sri Lanka

The three EU Foreign Ministers from Britain, France and Austria speaking to the press after their informal briefing on Sri Lanka to eight members of the security council said, they are appalled by the civilian deaths over the weekend.   

British Foreign Secretary Miliband together with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchne hosted a meeting on Monday to brief on Sri Lanka for the members of the security council and other concerned UN delegates and non-governmental organizations active on Sri Lanka. Only 8 members of the Security Council remained to listen on Sri Lanka after UN Security Council's meeting on the Middle East. 

The meeting was not even an informal Security Council discussion as happened earlier, it is a briefing only for those concerned. Even after the weekend 'bloodbath' as UN named it, only eight members of the Security Council including US Ambassador Susan Rice participated the meeting. Russia and China were notable absentees.

Miliband speaking first said they discussed with eight security council members about the civilians in the conflict zone as well as in IDP camps. Adding to that he said the report would be shocking to those who have not followed the conflict over the last few months. The situation inside no fire zone is appalling in its humanitarian distress, where 50,000 to 100,000 people are cramped in to an area of less than 3 sq. Km.

The rise in clash has claimed hundreds of innocent lives and he said "we also heard report from credible and serious organizations, the use of heavy artillery in to No Fire Zone that directly affect the civilians." He said as an upmost urgency they would be taking that with Sri Lanka, as  this is in contary to what they (Sri Lanka) promised.  

Inner City Press asked France's Bernard Kouchner, whether he would use the expiration of the European Union's favourable tariff treatment for Sri Lankan textiles, the so-called GSP Plus, as a way to try to protect civilians from government bombing as took place over the weekend. 

Miliband answered; saying that “Sri Lanka does not want to isolate itself from the international community. Sri Lanka depends to some extent on trade with the European Union, so the human rights aspects of the discussion are taken seriously, by the European Commission at this stage.” Adding to that Kouchner said, that “Benita Ferrero-Waldner has been involved.”   

Kouchner spoke to French press separately, Matthew Lee from ICP said he heard Kouchner say, Devant nous, des milliers -- “right in front of us, thousands,” presumably meaning civilians, killed on or near the beaches of north east Sri Lanka. 

Now Britain is with US on tying the IMF loan to the conflict, Franch's Ripert was not favourable to that idea earlier. Whether France changed its thought after weekend disaster is not known. 

Before attending the meeting Miliband told the media:

"Our message is a simple one, which is that the killing must stop."  "The civilians trapped in the zone, up to 50,000  to 100,000 in an area of just 3 square kilometers are the victims of what at the moment is a war without witness." 

“As you know, the issue has not yet been allowed onto the formal UN Security Council agenda. That's why we'll be having a range of meetings on the side of the formal meeting on the Middle East... merits the attention of the UN at all levels. The Secretary General has already sent his rep to Sri Lanka, the lack of access for the UN and its agencies remains a major concern.”

"I believe very, very strongly that the civilian situation in the northeast of Sri Lanka merits the attention of the United Nations at all levels," he said, calling it a "civilian catastrophe."