Save human lives in Sri Lanka

Save human lives in Sri Lanka

SAVE HUMAN LIVES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN SRI LANKA! SUPPORT TAMIL'S STRUGGLE FOR SELF DETERMINATION!

STOP WAR AND WAR CRIMES!

The situation in Sri Lanka is alarming. Despite a two days ceasefire on the occasion of the Tamil New Year, and despite innumerable appeals to the Sri Lankan government, President Mahinda Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar on 17th April 09 that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The Tamil civil population in the Vanni is in an absolutely desperate situation without food, water and medical supplies and under frequent attack in the so-called safe zone. Those who manage to leave (many don't want to, for complex reasons), encounter extremely discouraging conditions in the transit camps. Families are separated, disappearances of males of a certain age group are rampant, women face violations and informers try to track down political affiliations, which lead to further disappearances, while food, water and medical supplies leave a lot to be desired. Those who stay in the Vanni do so under manifold compulsions and there are daily deaths in large numbers due to lack of food, water, medical supplies and violent interference. Since 20th April, more people have come out of the so called safe zone, so that more ferocious massacres can be expected in the Vanni Region.

The argument that the LTTE has a vested interest in the presence of the civil population cannot be used as an excuse for the ongoing human rights violations by the State. The war has to end in order to end war crimes and enable a sustainable democratic process.

It is known that the Indian economic and military aid to the Sri Lankan government has been of a high order, presumably "to keep the Chinese at bay". We also remember from the over quarter of a century of armed conflict that the fratricidal tendencies among Tamil groups have been encouraged and enhanced by material aid and training through the RAW and other Indian intelligence outfits over the years. So the injury inflicted from the Indian side is much larger than only the involvement of the IPKF. Actually Priyanka Gandhi has a point when she says to the press that the murder of her father was caused by people's unbearable suffering.

We appreciate that the tone of the Indian Government has changed over recent weeks due to vast protest in India and abroad. However this is not enough. We have reasons to believe that words and deeds often do not tally. Political parties are using the issue to garner votes. There have been numerous protests by democratic organisations over the past three months, demanding to stop the war. People have had demonstrations, hunger fasts, appeals, conferences, road blocks, human chains, petitions galore. In Tamil Nadu, there have been several self immolations. Over the past one week (since 13th April 09), a group of twenty women in Chennai belonging to different organisations have been on an indefinite fast for PEACE in Sri Lanka, which has ended now in response to the appeal of many organizations not to add to the ongoing death toll but to decentralize the struggle an spread it, as the response from the Sri Lankan government is extremely cynical and shelling is going on in the “safe zone” according to UN sources.

On behalf of NAPM and PPF we wholeheartedly support this struggle. We have raised the issue extensively in our pre-election manifesto and campaign in Tamil Nadu from 23 to 31st March .National Conveners of NAPM have endorsed the demands for Peace, democracy and sovereignty of Tamils in Sri Lanka in their national Conveners meeting in Nagpur on March 1st, 09. NAPM Tamil Nadu has had rasta roko, arrest and fast on February 21 and a massive human chain on March 19th, 09. We also participated in the International Working Class Protest on April 8th, 09. We will not cease to raise the issue at national and international level. We will integrate the issue in all our campaign during pre-election time and also in the long term.

However, we appeal to our sisters to end their fast, as the conflict of decades cannot be solved over night and the aim is to save human lives and end the death toll, not to add to it. Let us abide by the slogan of the Tamil women from Batikaloa:

WE WILL END THE WAR

WE WILL PROTECT LIVES

BY THIS, WE WILL MAKE THE VICTORY OURS.

- We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations.

-We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the Vanni to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth.

-We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented.

We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender.

-The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented.

-Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood.

Yours sincerely,

Medha Patkar- NBA and National Alliance of People’ Movements, Gabriele D- National Alliance of People’s Movements, P. Chennaya- APVVU, National Alliance of People’s Movements , Aruna Roy- MKSS, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Sandeep Panday – National Alliance of People’s Movements , Anand Mazgaonkar- National Alliance of People’s Movements, Ulka Mahajan- Sarvhara Jan Andolan, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Ajit Jha – People’s Political Front, Surekha Dalvi- People’s Political Front, Yogender Yadav, Mukta Srivastava, Dr. Sunilam- Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Rajendra Ravi- National Alliance of People’s Movements , Gita Ramakrishnan- Campaign for Unorganized sector workers , NAPM , Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Vimal Bhai, Himalaya Bachao Andolan, Shaktiman Ghosh, Sudipto Moitra, National Hawkers Federation, Ram Narayan Kumar, Onil Kshetriymayum, Jagmohan Singh, World Sikh News, Harsh Mander, Kiran Shaheen, Shashwati Goswami IIMC Delhi, Bipin Rai Himalaya Bachao Andolan, Rita Manchanda, Babu Sundra, Rabin Chakraborty, Amit Bhaduri, JNU Delhi, R.N. Nayak, Gilbert Rodrigo, G.Vasantha (Guides), Selvin Mary Hyderabad, Rifat Mumtaz, Sukla Sen, Ekta, Mumba, S.P.Udayakumar Nagarkoil, Nalini Nayak , Sewa Trivandrum, Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhattisgarh, S. P. Udayakumar, MONLAR, Srilanka

Save human lives in Sri Lanka

Save human lives in Sri Lanka

SAVE HUMAN LIVES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN SRI LANKA! SUPPORT TAMIL'S STRUGGLE FOR SELF DETERMINATION!

STOP WAR AND WAR CRIMES!

The situation in Sri Lanka is alarming. Despite a two days ceasefire on the occasion of the Tamil New Year, and despite innumerable appeals to the Sri Lankan government, President Mahinda Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar on 17th April 09 that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The Tamil civil population in the Vanni is in an absolutely desperate situation without food, water and medical supplies and under frequent attack in the so-called safe zone. Those who manage to leave (many don't want to, for complex reasons), encounter extremely discouraging conditions in the transit camps. Families are separated, disappearances of males of a certain age group are rampant, women face violations and informers try to track down political affiliations, which lead to further disappearances, while food, water and medical supplies leave a lot to be desired. Those who stay in the Vanni do so under manifold compulsions and there are daily deaths in large numbers due to lack of food, water, medical supplies and violent interference. Since 20th April, more people have come out of the so called safe zone, so that more ferocious massacres can be expected in the Vanni Region.

The argument that the LTTE has a vested interest in the presence of the civil population cannot be used as an excuse for the ongoing human rights violations by the State. The war has to end in order to end war crimes and enable a sustainable democratic process.

It is known that the Indian economic and military aid to the Sri Lankan government has been of a high order, presumably "to keep the Chinese at bay". We also remember from the over quarter of a century of armed conflict that the fratricidal tendencies among Tamil groups have been encouraged and enhanced by material aid and training through the RAW and other Indian intelligence outfits over the years. So the injury inflicted from the Indian side is much larger than only the involvement of the IPKF. Actually Priyanka Gandhi has a point when she says to the press that the murder of her father was caused by people's unbearable suffering.

We appreciate that the tone of the Indian Government has changed over recent weeks due to vast protest in India and abroad. However this is not enough. We have reasons to believe that words and deeds often do not tally. Political parties are using the issue to garner votes. There have been numerous protests by democratic organisations over the past three months, demanding to stop the war. People have had demonstrations, hunger fasts, appeals, conferences, road blocks, human chains, petitions galore. In Tamil Nadu, there have been several self immolations. Over the past one week (since 13th April 09), a group of twenty women in Chennai belonging to different organisations have been on an indefinite fast for PEACE in Sri Lanka, which has ended now in response to the appeal of many organizations not to add to the ongoing death toll but to decentralize the struggle an spread it, as the response from the Sri Lankan government is extremely cynical and shelling is going on in the “safe zone” according to UN sources.

On behalf of NAPM and PPF we wholeheartedly support this struggle. We have raised the issue extensively in our pre-election manifesto and campaign in Tamil Nadu from 23 to 31st March .National Conveners of NAPM have endorsed the demands for Peace, democracy and sovereignty of Tamils in Sri Lanka in their national Conveners meeting in Nagpur on March 1st, 09. NAPM Tamil Nadu has had rasta roko, arrest and fast on February 21 and a massive human chain on March 19th, 09. We also participated in the International Working Class Protest on April 8th, 09. We will not cease to raise the issue at national and international level. We will integrate the issue in all our campaign during pre-election time and also in the long term.

However, we appeal to our sisters to end their fast, as the conflict of decades cannot be solved over night and the aim is to save human lives and end the death toll, not to add to it. Let us abide by the slogan of the Tamil women from Batikaloa:

WE WILL END THE WAR

WE WILL PROTECT LIVES

BY THIS, WE WILL MAKE THE VICTORY OURS.

- We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations.

-We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the Vanni to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth.

-We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented.

We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender.

-The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented.

-Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood.

Yours sincerely,

Medha Patkar- NBA and National Alliance of People’ Movements, Gabriele D- National Alliance of People’s Movements, P. Chennaya- APVVU, National Alliance of People’s Movements , Aruna Roy- MKSS, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Sandeep Panday – National Alliance of People’s Movements , Anand Mazgaonkar- National Alliance of People’s Movements, Ulka Mahajan- Sarvhara Jan Andolan, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Ajit Jha – People’s Political Front, Surekha Dalvi- People’s Political Front, Yogender Yadav, Mukta Srivastava, Dr. Sunilam- Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Rajendra Ravi- National Alliance of People’s Movements , Gita Ramakrishnan- Campaign for Unorganized sector workers , NAPM , Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Vimal Bhai, Himalaya Bachao Andolan, Shaktiman Ghosh, Sudipto Moitra, National Hawkers Federation, Ram Narayan Kumar, Onil Kshetriymayum, Jagmohan Singh, World Sikh News, Harsh Mander, Kiran Shaheen, Shashwati Goswami IIMC Delhi, Bipin Rai Himalaya Bachao Andolan, Rita Manchanda, Babu Sundra, Rabin Chakraborty, Amit Bhaduri, JNU Delhi, R.N. Nayak, Gilbert Rodrigo, G.Vasantha (Guides), Selvin Mary Hyderabad, Rifat Mumtaz, Sukla Sen, Ekta, Mumba, S.P.Udayakumar Nagarkoil, Nalini Nayak , Sewa Trivandrum, Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhattisgarh, S. P. Udayakumar, MONLAR, Srilanka

Save democracy in Sri Lanka: NAPM

Save democracy in Sri Lanka: NAPM

SAVE HUMAN LIVES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN SRI LANKA ! SUPPORT TAMIL'S STRUGGLE FOR SELF DETERMINATION!

STOP WAR AND WAR CRIMES!

The situation in Sri Lanka is alarming. Despite a two days ceasefire on the occasion of the Tamil New Year, and despite innumerable appeals to the Sri Lankan government, President Mahinda Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar on 17th April 09 that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The Tamil civil population in the Vanni is in an absolutely desperate situation without food, water and medical supplies and under frequent attack in the so-called safe zone. Those who manage to leave (many don't want to, for complex reasons), encounter extremely discouraging conditions in the transit camps. Families are separated, disappearances of males of a certain age group are rampant, women face violations and informers try to track down political affiliations, which lead to further disappearances, while food, water and medical supplies leave a lot to be desired. Those who stay in the Vanni do so under manifold compulsions and there are daily deaths in large numbers due to lack of food, water, medical supplies and violent interference. Since 20th April, more people have come out of the so called safe zone, so that more ferocious massacres can be expected in the Vanni Region.

The argument that the LTTE has a vested interest in the presence of the civil population cannot be used as an excuse for the ongoing human rights violations by the State. The war has to end in order to end war crimes and enable a sustainable democratic process.

It is known that the Indian economic and military aid to the Sri Lankan government has been of a high order, presumably "to keep the Chinese at bay". We also remember from the over quarter of a century of armed conflict that the fratricidal tendencies among Tamil groups have been encouraged and enhanced by material aid and training through the RAW and other Indian intelligence outfits over the years. So the injury inflicted from the Indian side is much larger than only the involvement of the IPKF. Actually Priyanka Gandhi has a point when she says to the press that the murder of her father was caused by people's unbearable suffering.

We appreciate that the tone of the Indian Government has changed over recent weeks due to vast protest in India and abroad. However this is not enough. We have reasons to believe that words and deeds often do not tally. Political parties are using the issue to garner votes. There have been numerous protests by democratic organisations over the past three months, demanding to stop the war. People have had demonstrations, hunger fasts, appeals, conferences, road blocks, human chains, petitions galore. In Tamil Nadu, there have been several self immolations. Over the past one week (since 13th April 09), a group of twenty women in Chennai belonging to different organisations have been on an indefinite fast for PEACE in Sri Lanka .

On behalf of NAPM and PPF we wholeheartedly support this struggle. We have raised the issue extensively in our pre-election manifesto and campaign in Tamil Nadu from 23 to 31st March .National Conveners of NAPM have endorsed the demands for Peace, democracy and sovereignty of Tamils in Sri Lanka in their national Conveners meeting in Nagpur on March 1st, 09. NAPM Tamil Nadu has had rasta roko, arrest and fast on February 21 and a massive human chain on March 19th, 09. We also participated in the International Working Class Protest on April 8th, 09. We will not cease to raise the issue at national and international level. We will integrate the issue in all our campaign during pre-election time and also in the long term.

However, we appeal to our sisters to end their fast, as the conflict of decades cannot be solved over night and the aim is to save human lives and end the death toll, not to add to it. Let us abide by the slogan of the Tamil women from Batikaloa:

WE WILL END THE WAR

WE WILL PROTECT LIVES

BY THIS, WE WILL MAKE THE VICTORY OURS.

- We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations.

- We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the Vanni to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth.

-We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented.

We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender.

-The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented.

-Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood.

Medha Patkar
National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)

Save democracy in Sri Lanka: NAPM

Save democracy in Sri Lanka: NAPM

SAVE HUMAN LIVES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN SRI LANKA ! SUPPORT TAMIL'S STRUGGLE FOR SELF DETERMINATION!

STOP WAR AND WAR CRIMES!

The situation in Sri Lanka is alarming. Despite a two days ceasefire on the occasion of the Tamil New Year, and despite innumerable appeals to the Sri Lankan government, President Mahinda Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar on 17th April 09 that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The Tamil civil population in the Vanni is in an absolutely desperate situation without food, water and medical supplies and under frequent attack in the so-called safe zone. Those who manage to leave (many don't want to, for complex reasons), encounter extremely discouraging conditions in the transit camps. Families are separated, disappearances of males of a certain age group are rampant, women face violations and informers try to track down political affiliations, which lead to further disappearances, while food, water and medical supplies leave a lot to be desired. Those who stay in the Vanni do so under manifold compulsions and there are daily deaths in large numbers due to lack of food, water, medical supplies and violent interference. Since 20th April, more people have come out of the so called safe zone, so that more ferocious massacres can be expected in the Vanni Region.

The argument that the LTTE has a vested interest in the presence of the civil population cannot be used as an excuse for the ongoing human rights violations by the State. The war has to end in order to end war crimes and enable a sustainable democratic process.

It is known that the Indian economic and military aid to the Sri Lankan government has been of a high order, presumably "to keep the Chinese at bay". We also remember from the over quarter of a century of armed conflict that the fratricidal tendencies among Tamil groups have been encouraged and enhanced by material aid and training through the RAW and other Indian intelligence outfits over the years. So the injury inflicted from the Indian side is much larger than only the involvement of the IPKF. Actually Priyanka Gandhi has a point when she says to the press that the murder of her father was caused by people's unbearable suffering.

We appreciate that the tone of the Indian Government has changed over recent weeks due to vast protest in India and abroad. However this is not enough. We have reasons to believe that words and deeds often do not tally. Political parties are using the issue to garner votes. There have been numerous protests by democratic organisations over the past three months, demanding to stop the war. People have had demonstrations, hunger fasts, appeals, conferences, road blocks, human chains, petitions galore. In Tamil Nadu, there have been several self immolations. Over the past one week (since 13th April 09), a group of twenty women in Chennai belonging to different organisations have been on an indefinite fast for PEACE in Sri Lanka .

On behalf of NAPM and PPF we wholeheartedly support this struggle. We have raised the issue extensively in our pre-election manifesto and campaign in Tamil Nadu from 23 to 31st March .National Conveners of NAPM have endorsed the demands for Peace, democracy and sovereignty of Tamils in Sri Lanka in their national Conveners meeting in Nagpur on March 1st, 09. NAPM Tamil Nadu has had rasta roko, arrest and fast on February 21 and a massive human chain on March 19th, 09. We also participated in the International Working Class Protest on April 8th, 09. We will not cease to raise the issue at national and international level. We will integrate the issue in all our campaign during pre-election time and also in the long term.

However, we appeal to our sisters to end their fast, as the conflict of decades cannot be solved over night and the aim is to save human lives and end the death toll, not to add to it. Let us abide by the slogan of the Tamil women from Batikaloa:

WE WILL END THE WAR

WE WILL PROTECT LIVES

BY THIS, WE WILL MAKE THE VICTORY OURS.

- We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations.

- We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the Vanni to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth.

-We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented.

We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender.

-The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented.

-Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood.

Medha Patkar
National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)

Sri Lanka: Humanitarian disaster in making

Sri Lanka: Humanitarian disaster in making

Activists expressed their deep anguish and concern on unabated mass killings in Sri Lanka which is, as they underlined, "no short of a humanitarian disaster in northern Sri Lanka".

"We also protest the covert provision of economic and military aid to Sri Lanka by Indian government which has, certainly, deeply aggravated the situation in Sri Lanka" said Dr Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee (2002) and Convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM).

The Sri Lankan government’s indiscriminate military actions have exacted an appalling toll on the civilian Tamil population. Unless India does its part to negotiate an immediate ceasefire, civilian casualties will continue to escalate, tarnishing India’s claim to be a morally responsible regional ‘spiritual’ power.

"Indeed, we have watched with growing dismay the Indian government’s effective complicity with the Sri Lankan government’s ongoing efforts to brutalize the Tamil minority. There is considerable evidence that, while publicly calling for a "political solution", the Indian government has covertly supplied military equipment and training to Sri Lanka through the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and other Indian intelligence outfits. Decades ago, sending in the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka had exacerbated the situation and questions India’s claim of being a harbinger of ‘peace’ in the region" said Gurudayal Singh Sheetal, Leader of Prakritik Manav Kendrit Andolan, Punjab.

In July 2007, Sri Lanka’s army chief, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, had told journalists that India was training 800 officers annually, free of charge, describing India’s support as “huge”. "Furthermore, there are credible reports indicating that India’s support for the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksha government is based on base economic calculations: that Tamil areas destroyed by Sri Lanka’s ferocious military offensive will offer lucrative investment opportunities for Indian companies under the guise of helping Tamils living there" said the press statement issued today by People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Uttar Pradesh state chapter.

If these reports are true, India’s economic and political gain will have been purchased in blood and lives. The humanitarian situation in northern Sri Lanka is now catastrophic. According to Human Rights Watch and Sri Lankan rights groups, since January 2009 alone, at least 1,000, and perhaps as many as 2,000, Tamil civilians have been killed as a result of the Sri Lankan military's continuing artillery attacks and aerial bombing offensive. The military has openly targeted urban areas, including schools, hospitals, and buildings that house civilians.

The Sri Lankan government, believing it is on the verge of final victory over the LTTE, has resisted all calls for a ceasefire. President Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar (on 17 April 2009) that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The government is keeping those who have managed to flee the onslaught in detention camps that it has cynically and misleadingly termed “welfare villages”. Arguing that the population of internally displaced people includes “terrorists” in its ranks, the Sri Lankan government has announced plans to hold up to some 250,000 civilians – even very young children – in the camps for a period of three years. It has requested funds from the UN and other aid agencies to build schools, banks and hospitals inside these camps. There is credible fear that, while detaining this population, the Sri Lankan government will settle majority Sinhalese in northern Sri Lanka.

The recent appeal issued by the Indian External Affairs Ministry “to the Sri Lankan Government and to all concerned to work out appropriate and credible procedures for the evacuation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to safety, which would include the international agencies being able to oversee the movement of the IDPs” is a step in the right direction. But it is not enough.

"We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations" said SR Darapuri, Vice President of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Uttar Pradesh state chapter. "We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the ‘Vanni’ to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth" added Darapuri.

"We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented. We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender" further added SR Darapuri.

"The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented. Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood. We demand that India should challenge the Sri Lankan government’s proposal for compulsory confinement of these refugees in detention camps for as long as three years" said Darapuri, while reading the charter of demands activists are making on the governments of India and Sri Lanka.

There is no evidence in history where violence has been a solution to the problems of community, said Dr Ramesh Dixit, Professor of Political Science, Lucknow University. "Dialogue, not war, can lead to solutions" said Dr Dixit.

Sri Lanka: Humanitarian disaster in making

Sri Lanka: Humanitarian disaster in making

Activists expressed their deep anguish and concern on unabated mass killings in Sri Lanka which is, as they underlined, "no short of a humanitarian disaster in northern Sri Lanka".

"We also protest the covert provision of economic and military aid to Sri Lanka by Indian government which has, certainly, deeply aggravated the situation in Sri Lanka" said Dr Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee (2002) and Convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM).

The Sri Lankan government’s indiscriminate military actions have exacted an appalling toll on the civilian Tamil population. Unless India does its part to negotiate an immediate ceasefire, civilian casualties will continue to escalate, tarnishing India’s claim to be a morally responsible regional ‘spiritual’ power.

"Indeed, we have watched with growing dismay the Indian government’s effective complicity with the Sri Lankan government’s ongoing efforts to brutalize the Tamil minority. There is considerable evidence that, while publicly calling for a "political solution", the Indian government has covertly supplied military equipment and training to Sri Lanka through the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and other Indian intelligence outfits. Decades ago, sending in the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka had exacerbated the situation and questions India’s claim of being a harbinger of ‘peace’ in the region" said Gurudayal Singh Sheetal, Leader of Prakritik Manav Kendrit Andolan, Punjab.

In July 2007, Sri Lanka’s army chief, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, had told journalists that India was training 800 officers annually, free of charge, describing India’s support as “huge”. "Furthermore, there are credible reports indicating that India’s support for the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksha government is based on base economic calculations: that Tamil areas destroyed by Sri Lanka’s ferocious military offensive will offer lucrative investment opportunities for Indian companies under the guise of helping Tamils living there" said the press statement issued today by People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Uttar Pradesh state chapter.

If these reports are true, India’s economic and political gain will have been purchased in blood and lives. The humanitarian situation in northern Sri Lanka is now catastrophic. According to Human Rights Watch and Sri Lankan rights groups, since January 2009 alone, at least 1,000, and perhaps as many as 2,000, Tamil civilians have been killed as a result of the Sri Lankan military's continuing artillery attacks and aerial bombing offensive. The military has openly targeted urban areas, including schools, hospitals, and buildings that house civilians.

The Sri Lankan government, believing it is on the verge of final victory over the LTTE, has resisted all calls for a ceasefire. President Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar (on 17 April 2009) that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The government is keeping those who have managed to flee the onslaught in detention camps that it has cynically and misleadingly termed “welfare villages”. Arguing that the population of internally displaced people includes “terrorists” in its ranks, the Sri Lankan government has announced plans to hold up to some 250,000 civilians – even very young children – in the camps for a period of three years. It has requested funds from the UN and other aid agencies to build schools, banks and hospitals inside these camps. There is credible fear that, while detaining this population, the Sri Lankan government will settle majority Sinhalese in northern Sri Lanka.

The recent appeal issued by the Indian External Affairs Ministry “to the Sri Lankan Government and to all concerned to work out appropriate and credible procedures for the evacuation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to safety, which would include the international agencies being able to oversee the movement of the IDPs” is a step in the right direction. But it is not enough.

"We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations" said SR Darapuri, Vice President of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Uttar Pradesh state chapter. "We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the ‘Vanni’ to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth" added Darapuri.

"We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented. We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender" further added SR Darapuri.

"The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented. Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood. We demand that India should challenge the Sri Lankan government’s proposal for compulsory confinement of these refugees in detention camps for as long as three years" said Darapuri, while reading the charter of demands activists are making on the governments of India and Sri Lanka.

There is no evidence in history where violence has been a solution to the problems of community, said Dr Ramesh Dixit, Professor of Political Science, Lucknow University. "Dialogue, not war, can lead to solutions" said Dr Dixit.

We condemn unabated mass killings in Sri Lanka

We condemn unabated mass killings in Sri Lanka

India should be a strong international voice for democratic rights

We express our deep anguish and concern on unabated mass killings in Sri Lanka which is no short of a humanitarian disaster in northern Sri Lanka. We also protest the provision of economic and military aid to Sri Lanka by Indian government which has certainly deeply worsened the situation in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan government’s indiscriminate military actions have exacted an appalling toll on the civilian Tamil population. Unless India does its part to negotiate an immediate ceasefire, civilian casualties will continue to escalate, tarnishing India’s claim to be a morally responsible regional ‘spiritual’ power.

Indeed, we have watched with growing dismay the Indian government’s effective complicity with the Sri Lankan government’s ongoing efforts to brutalize the Tamil minority. There is considerable evidence that, while publicly calling for a "political solution", the Indian government has covertly supplied military equipment and training to Sri Lanka through the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and other Indian intelligence outfits. Decades ago, sending in the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka had certainly exacerbated the situation and questions India’s claim of being a harbinger of ‘peace’ in the region.

In July 2007, Sri Lanka’s army chief, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, told journalists that India was training 800 officers annually, free of charge, describing India’s support as “huge”. Furthermore, there are credible reports indicating that India’s support for the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksha government is based on base economic calculations: that Tamil areas destroyed by Sri Lanka’s ferocious military offensive will offer lucrative investment opportunities for Indian companies under the guise of helping Tamils living there.

If these reports are true, India’s economic and political gain will have been purchased in blood and lives. The humanitarian situation in northern Sri Lanka is now catastrophic. According to Human Rights Watch and Sri Lankan rights groups, since January 2009 alone, at least 1,000, and perhaps as many as 2,000, Tamil civilians have been killed as a result of the Sri Lankan military's continuing artillery attacks and aerial bombing offensive. The military has openly targeted urban areas, including schools, hospitals, and buildings that house civilians.

The Sri Lankan government, believing it is on the verge of final victory over the LTTE, has resisted all calls for a ceasefire. President Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar (on 17 April 2009) that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The government is keeping those who have managed to flee the onslaught in detention camps that it has cynically and misleadingly termed “welfare villages”. Arguing that the population of internally displaced people includes “terrorists” in its ranks, the Sri Lankan government has announced plans to hold up to some 250,000 civilians – even very young children – in the camps for a period of three years. It has requested funds from the UN and other aid agencies to build schools, banks and hospitals inside these camps. There is credible fear that, while detaining this population, the Sri Lankan government will settle majority Sinhalese in northern Sri Lanka.

The recent appeal issued by the Indian External Affairs Ministry “to the Sri Lankan Government and to all concerned to work out appropriate and credible procedures for the evacuation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to safety, which would include the international agencies being able to oversee the movement of the IDPs” is a step in the right direction. But it is not enough.

- We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations.

- We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the ‘Vanni’ to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth.

- We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented.

- We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender.

- The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented.

- Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood.

- We demand that India should challenge the Sri Lankan government’s proposal for compulsory confinement of these refugees in detention camps for as long as three years.

We believe that these borders have only led to violence and agony for the common people. We appeal to the south Asian nations to stand united and move towards the formation of a Visa-free, nuclear-free and peaceful south Asia.

SM Naseem, former ADG Police
Dr Ramesh Dixit, Lucknow University
SR Darapuri, Vice President, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), UP
Muhammed Shoaib, senior advocate, High Court
Dr Sabra Habeeb, Lucknow University
Zahir Ahmad Siddiqui, Foundation for Social Care
Mohammed Khalid, Jamaat-e-islami hind
Dr Sandeep Pandey, convener, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)

on behalf of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), UP

We condemn unabated mass killings in Sri Lanka

We condemn unabated mass killings in Sri Lanka

India should be a strong international voice for democratic rights

We express our deep anguish and concern on unabated mass killings in Sri Lanka which is no short of a humanitarian disaster in northern Sri Lanka. We also protest the provision of economic and military aid to Sri Lanka by Indian government which has certainly deeply worsened the situation in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan government’s indiscriminate military actions have exacted an appalling toll on the civilian Tamil population. Unless India does its part to negotiate an immediate ceasefire, civilian casualties will continue to escalate, tarnishing India’s claim to be a morally responsible regional ‘spiritual’ power.

Indeed, we have watched with growing dismay the Indian government’s effective complicity with the Sri Lankan government’s ongoing efforts to brutalize the Tamil minority. There is considerable evidence that, while publicly calling for a "political solution", the Indian government has covertly supplied military equipment and training to Sri Lanka through the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and other Indian intelligence outfits. Decades ago, sending in the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka had certainly exacerbated the situation and questions India’s claim of being a harbinger of ‘peace’ in the region.

In July 2007, Sri Lanka’s army chief, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, told journalists that India was training 800 officers annually, free of charge, describing India’s support as “huge”. Furthermore, there are credible reports indicating that India’s support for the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksha government is based on base economic calculations: that Tamil areas destroyed by Sri Lanka’s ferocious military offensive will offer lucrative investment opportunities for Indian companies under the guise of helping Tamils living there.

If these reports are true, India’s economic and political gain will have been purchased in blood and lives. The humanitarian situation in northern Sri Lanka is now catastrophic. According to Human Rights Watch and Sri Lankan rights groups, since January 2009 alone, at least 1,000, and perhaps as many as 2,000, Tamil civilians have been killed as a result of the Sri Lankan military's continuing artillery attacks and aerial bombing offensive. The military has openly targeted urban areas, including schools, hospitals, and buildings that house civilians.

The Sri Lankan government, believing it is on the verge of final victory over the LTTE, has resisted all calls for a ceasefire. President Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar (on 17 April 2009) that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The government is keeping those who have managed to flee the onslaught in detention camps that it has cynically and misleadingly termed “welfare villages”. Arguing that the population of internally displaced people includes “terrorists” in its ranks, the Sri Lankan government has announced plans to hold up to some 250,000 civilians – even very young children – in the camps for a period of three years. It has requested funds from the UN and other aid agencies to build schools, banks and hospitals inside these camps. There is credible fear that, while detaining this population, the Sri Lankan government will settle majority Sinhalese in northern Sri Lanka.

The recent appeal issued by the Indian External Affairs Ministry “to the Sri Lankan Government and to all concerned to work out appropriate and credible procedures for the evacuation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to safety, which would include the international agencies being able to oversee the movement of the IDPs” is a step in the right direction. But it is not enough.

- We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations.

- We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the ‘Vanni’ to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth.

- We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented.

- We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender.

- The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented.

- Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood.

- We demand that India should challenge the Sri Lankan government’s proposal for compulsory confinement of these refugees in detention camps for as long as three years.

We believe that these borders have only led to violence and agony for the common people. We appeal to the south Asian nations to stand united and move towards the formation of a Visa-free, nuclear-free and peaceful south Asia.

SM Naseem, former ADG Police
Dr Ramesh Dixit, Lucknow University
SR Darapuri, Vice President, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), UP
Muhammed Shoaib, senior advocate, High Court
Dr Sabra Habeeb, Lucknow University
Zahir Ahmad Siddiqui, Foundation for Social Care
Mohammed Khalid, Jamaat-e-islami hind
Dr Sandeep Pandey, convener, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)

on behalf of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), UP