Inaction may cause 10,000 casualties: SOS appeal to powers

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) began firing from all points along the north, west and south of safe-zone in the early hours of Monday around 3:45 a.m., according to initial reports. Heavy gunfire was reported in the north and south of Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal. The aggression by the SLA comes a few hours after Sri Lanka rejected LTTE announced unilateral ceasefire.

Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal area is densely populated with tens of thousands of civilians, who are already starving due to the denial of World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations.

The LTTE has estimated the number of civilians still located in the territory as more than 160,000.

"If the expected offensive goes forward there will be more than 10,000 casualties as the area is densely populated and there is no cover from bombs, shells, and bullets," said a press statement issued by the head of the field office of Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) in Vanni.

"On behalf of over 160,000 civilians still in the area, we are making this final appeal to the the international community to stop the slaughter of Tamil civilians in the so-called safe zone," appealed Lawrance Christy, head of the field office of Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) in a SOS message to the UN, US, India, EU, UK, Russia and China adding that "You are our only hope." If the expected offensive goes forward, there will be more than 10,000 casualties as the area is densely populated and there is no cover from bombs, shells, and bullets, he said. "As we write this appeal there is a build up of Sri Lanka armed forces in the areas surrounding the so-called safe zone and an offensive via land, sea, and air is only a few hours away."

Full text of the appeal by Lawrance Christy, the head of field office of the TRO, follows:

President Barack Obama (USA)
President Dmitry Medvedev (Russia)
President Hu Jintao (China)
President Nicolas Sarkozy (France)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown (UK)
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh (India)
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (UN)


26 April 2009

An Open Letter to the Members of the Security Council, the United Nations and the International Community:

You are our only hope.

On behalf of over 160,000 civilians still in the area, we are making this final appeal to the the international community to stop the slaughter of Tamil civilians in the so-called ‘safe zone’.

As we write this appeal there is a build up of Sri Lanka Armed Forces in the areas surrounding the so-called ‘safe zone’ and an offensive via land, sea, and air is only a few hours away.

On Sunday 26 April, the Sri Lanka Air Force bombed the Valiaganmadam village, the only village with sea access, 39 times and on Saturday 25 April there were at least 25 attacks which killed and injured hundreds.

Based on their previous experiences over the past three months TRO officials in the ‘safe zone’ have predicted that if the expected offensive goes forward there will be more than 10,000 casualties as the area is densely populated and there is no cover from bombs, shells, and bullets.

The UN, US, India, EU, UK, Russia and China must all put pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately stop all military attacks and enter into an immediate, UN monitored cease fire.

Lawrence Christy
Head of Field Office
‘safe zoneʼ
Mullivaikal, Mullaitivu