Sri Lankan conflict a humanitarian catastrophe

new-zealand-labour-party

Wed Apr 22 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Sri Lankan conflict a humanitarian catastrophe

Wednesday, 22 April 2009, 11:40 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

22 April 2009
Media Statement

The conflict in Northern Sri Lanka is a humanitarian catastrophe, with thousands killed in recent days, and tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in the combat zone, Grant Robertson Labour Associate Foreign Affairs Spokesperson says.

“I met again this morning with members of the New Zealand Tamil community who hold grave fears for their relatives in the area. Although thousands of civilians have fled the conflict zone, up to 100,000 are still there. Reports indicate that thousands have been killed and for all the civilians in the area life is precarious.

“This is a catastrophe, and there must be a halt to fighting to allow civilians to move to safety.”

“The lack of access for media and some international relief organisations makes it difficult to get an accurate picture of what is happening in the area. There have been reports of shelling of hospitals and of people being used as human shields. It is clear that both sides in the conflict need to agree to a halt in hostilities to avoid an even greater death toll.”

“Tragically this humanitarian disaster has been predictable for some time in the absence of a commitment to stop fighting. It is not too late to do something to save the lives of innocent civilians the voice of civilians has been lost in this conflict and needs to be heard.”

“The only way to ensure a lasting peace in Sri Lanka is for a negotiated political settlement. This must be inclusive, and represent a commitment from both the Tamil and Sinhalese communities to live together in peace. In particular the Sri Lankan Government must show some leadership in finding a political solution.

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“The international community, including New Zealand, must act to ensure that a political solution becomes the focus in Sri Lanka, and that lives of civilians are saved. I call on the National Government to make our voice heard in the international community on this issue.

“The next opportunity for this would be at the UN Security Council meeting to be held next week,” Grant Robertson said.

ENDS

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