Rising Civilian Toll Is Ominous Consequence Of
Worsening Conflict
The targeting of civilians for acts of violence and in counter-insurgency
operations is becoming part of the escalating cycle of violence in the
north east. Even places of worship such as the Grand Mosque in
Akkaraipattu and the Cathedral in Batticaloa have not been spared the
desecration of murder. The National Peace Council expresses its shock
and distress at the brutal killing of five young students in Trincomalee in
an alleged encounter with security forces on the beach. We condemn
these killings and welcome President Mahinda Rajapakse's appointment
of a committee to inquire into the incident. We request this committee to
conduct its investigations impartially and call on the government to make
its findings known soon. The appointment of committees that do not
publicise their findings erodes public credibility.
The National Peace Council also expresses its serious concern the mass
detention of Tamil people in Colombo on New Year's eve. This mass
detention of about a thousand men and women took place in the context
of the increased number of deadly attacks on the security forces virtually
on a daily basis by suspected members of the LTTE. The government
should be mindful that actions of this nature, even if meant to protect
national security, can undermine its claim that it is acting with restraint in
the face of LTTE provocations. In particular we urge President Mahinda
Rajapakse to ensure that human rights abuses by the security forces are
brought to an immediate halt. Human Rights and Peace are two sides of
the same coin. It is incumbent on both the Government and the LTTE to
demonstrate that they respect the rights of citizens as a way of indicating
their commitment to peace.
The National Peace Council demands that the government and LTTE
should engage in peace talks without further delay to resolve their
differences instead of engaging in more and more violence. We urge
both sides to show a greater degree of flexibility to accommodate each
other's conditions for the resumption of peace talks as each day of delay
adds to the human costs of conflict. As a civic organization, we will join
with other like minded organizations to make visible demonstrations of the
people's rejection of violence. We also urge all peace loving persons,
both local and international, who have access to the government and
LTTE leaderships to engage with them and persuade them to reject the
path of violence.
Full Text of Media Release by National Peace Council of Sri Lanka
