Release refugee says Tamil group

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2000, 04:25 GMT]
A Tamil group in Colombo called on the international community today to persuade the Sri Lankan government to let the refugees held up at Kilali in Jaffna by the Sri Lanka army proceed to safer areas in other parts of the northern peninsula.

The leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation an ex Tamil militant group in Colombo issued a statement to the press this morning. Following is the full text of the release.

"More than five thousand Tamil civilians including children remain trapped in Pallai and Kilali areas for the last several days in the midst of the on-going military confrontation between the Sri Lanka armed forces and the LTTE in the north of Sri Lanka.

"These innocent civilians are still prevented by the armed forces from leaving the theatre of war inspite of their frantic and fervent pleas to do so."

"These civilians are being detained to provide a human shield and are thus facing the imminent danger of getting killed or injured."

"We, therefore, earnestly and urgently appeal to the international community to impress upon the government of Sri Lanka its constitutional and moral obligation to permit forthwith all these defenceless citizens to leave the theatre of war in order to ensure their safety and security."

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