[Reuters]

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Monday for a “suspension in fighting” between the Sri Lanka government and Tamil Tiger separatists to allow civilians to escape. “There is an urgent need to bring this conflict to an end without any further unnecessary loss of civilian life and destruction of Sri Lankan society,” Ban told reporters. “The U.N. deplores the increasing casualties among civilians trapped in the intense fighting … and would strongly support a suspension in fighting for the purpose of allowing safe passage of (the) civilian population trying to flee the conflict,” Ban said.

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[Times Online]

Sir, I agree that there should be an immediate, unconditional ceasefire by both sides in Sri Lanka (Bronwen Maddox, World Briefing, Feb 12). However, I also believe that the time has come for the UN Secretary- General, Ban Ki Moon, to demand that a United Nations peacekeeping mission be allowed access to the country to avoid a civilian bloodbath.

Reports from the country say that the remaining doctors and medical staff in the LTTE (Tamil Tiger)-controlled area in the north of Sri Lanka have been ordered to leave. The Sri Lankan Government has urged Tamil civilians to come over to its side, but there is a natural reluctance and fear of such a move.

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