INDIA WANTS SRI LANKA TO PROTECT CIVILIANS IN WAR ZONE

By P.Vijian

NEW DELHI, April 17 (Bernama) -- India has once gain expressed its concern over
the terrifying humanitarian situation in war-torn Sri Lanka where thousands of
civilians are trapped in the conflict zone.

"India is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka.
The continuing conflict has taken a heavy toll on Tamil civilians and internally
displaced persons caught in the crossfire.

"India has repeatedly expressed its concern for their security and sought to
ensure safe passage to secure zones for the civilian population," India's
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Friday.

He said that while it was incumbent on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) to release all civilians and internally displaced people (IDP) under its
control, Sri Lanka cannot be oblivious to the evolving human tragedy and the
fate of the Tamil civilians caught up in the so-called no-fire zone.

About 150,000 civilians are reported trapped with LTTE fighters in the
island's northeast and are unable to escape due to the heavy fighting between
government troops and the rebels.

He said India welcomed Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's decision to
stop hostilities in view of the Tamil and Sinhala new year celebrations over the
last two days, but they must extend the pause in fighting to prevent further
casualties and enable trapped civilians to reach secure locations.

Sri Lanka has been fighting the 25-year-old civil war with the LTTE, which
wants a separate homeland for the Tamil population in the north. More than
70,000 people have died in the conflict.

-- BERNAMA