Progress CheckWe have a long way ahead of us but the successes we have witnessed so far steady our resolve and give us greater hope for the future. Continue to check back here to monitor progress with our campaign. Thank you for your continued support! Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Tuesday, February 3 for a "temporary no-fire period" in Sri Lanka to evacuate casualties and enable aid to enter the region. We join the Co-Chairs and call on the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka not to fire out of or into the safe zone established by the Government or in the vicinity of the PTK hospital (or any other medical structure), where more than 500 patients are receiving care and many hundreds more have sought refuge. We also call on both sides to allow food and medical assistance to reach those trapped by fighting, cooperate with the ICRC to facilitate the evacuation of urgent medical cases, and ensure the safety of aid and medical workers. The LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka must respect the international law of armed conflict. Click here to read the full statement Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, delivered a sharp floor statement Tuesday, February 3, condemning the Sri Lankan government for flouting international law by conducting repeated attacks on civilian areas. In recent weeks, as the Sri Lankan army has seized control of most of the northern strongholds of the Tamil Tigers, or LTTE as they are otherwise known, the situation has gone from dire to the verge of catastrophe for the estimated 250,000 vulnerable civilians who are trapped in a so-called "safe zone."... Rather than protecting the Tamil people, the government has often contributed to their suffering. Its strategy has been to cordon off the area and blame everything, including its own violations, on the LTTE.... It is imperative that the government and the LTTE agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid further loss of life, permit access to UN monitors and humanitarian organizations, and permit civilians to leave for areas of safety. The Obama administration, the British, Indian and other concerned governments, should be publicly urging the same. Over the longer term, if lasting peace is to come to Sri Lanka, the government must effectively address, in negotiations which include all the main Tamil and Muslim parties, the core issues that have fueled the conflict including laws and policies that unfairly discriminate against Sri Lanka's minorities. Click here to read the full statement Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter Tuesday, February 3rd to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, expressing his concern about indiscriminate attacks against civilians. I also want to share my concerns with you over the crisis facing civilians trapped by fighting in the North. I hope you will make the protection of innocent civilians your military's highest priority and that your government will grant to UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross access to these Internally Displaced Persons so that needed food and medical supplies can be delivered. Once in Government-controlled areas, these people should be treated in accordance with international norms and standards.... I also want to express my desire that the government address the recent attacks against the independent media. The assassination of Lasantha Wickrematunge deeply concerns me, and I expect your government will bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice. Click here to read the full statement Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN) released a joint statement on Monday, February 2nd expressing concern for civilians under attack. Senator Lugar and I are greatly concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation, including the challenges facing approximately 250,000 internally displaced persons trapped in a 100-square-mile area by fighting in the Vanni area of Sri Lanka. This weekend's repeated shelling of a hospital, in which several civilians were killed, is only the most recent of many attacks on noncombatants. We urge the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to immediately take all necessary steps to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access. Moreover, we are deeply troubled by comments by the Sri Lankan Government threatening to expel foreign diplomats, aid agencies, and journalists. Reporters have already experienced physical attacks and intimidation, including the latest brazen assassination of renowned journalist Lasantha Wickrematunga. Together, we urge the Government of Sri Lanka to protect all of its citizens and conduct swift, full, and credible investigations into attacks on journalists and other civilians. Click here to read the full statement One member of the Sri Lanka Caucus has communicated our concerns to the State Department and is attempting to send medical aid to the region. One Senator spoke with Secretary Hillary Clinton last Thursday and submitted a letter to her office last Friday, asking her to appoint a point person to oversee U.S. efforts to stop the ongoing crisis. Rep Nita Lowey (D-NY) issued the following statement on February 9th, expressing concern for the innocent civilians affected by the fighting Ongoing violence between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE has resulted in a humanitarian disaster, including massive civilian casualties and the internal displacement of approximately 250,000 innocent civilians. Today’s suicide bombing at a refugee checkpoint is only the most recent in series of deadly and shocking attacks. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is convening a hearing on Recent Developments in Sri Lanka on February 24. A reporter at February 19th's State Department Briefing dealt specifically with the ongoing humanitarian crisis and Fridays rally Question:The Sri Lankan ambassador in a statement day before yesterday urged the U.S. to influence upon LTT not to use the cap – civilian as a captives; whereas, tomorrow – day after tomorrow, there is going to be a demonstration by Genocide Against Tamils urging the U.S. to urge upon Sri Lankan Government not to – not to kill the civilians in the (inaudible) Sri Lanka. What's the U.S. position on that? Mr. Duguid:We have already been in touch with the Sri Lankan Government, and we have urged them to have consideration for civilians in their military operations. We have also tried to work with NGOs to help NGOs address the plight of the internally displaced people in Sri Lanka. We are -- if I can just find it for you here a moment, please. We welcome today the evacuation of approximately 1,200 civilians. The ICRC assisted with their departure from the conflict zone, but we continue to be concerned about the lack of access to the remaining civilian population in the Vanni region, which numbers about 250,000 people. USAID's Food for Peace Program has provided emergency food assistance, valued somewhere above $28 million, to the WFP in support of the internally displaced persons and the vulnerable populations in the north. We are working through NGOs on the ground to try and make sure that food and medicine can get into the people in the Vanni region. We encourage both sides to allow civilians and noncombatants to leave the conflict zone. |
The Eight
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