A press release issued by the New Zealand Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka ( SPUR NZ)

LTTE must release the civilians held by them as a human shield

The international and national press has in recent weeks highlighted the plight of the civilian Tamil population trapped between Sri Lankan forces and the separatist terrorist LTTE fighting cadres. This is not the first time the inhuman LTTE terrorist machine forced civilians to form a protective human shield when retreating from the advancing Sri Lankan forces.

The Human Right Watch in an issue titled "Trapped and Mistreated – LTTE Abuses against Civilians in Vanni" (December 2008) announced to the world that "the LTTE has brutally and systematically abused the Tamil population whose behalf they claim to fight, and the LTTE bear a heavy responsibility for the desperate plight of the civilians in Vanni".

The Human Rights Watch in this publication added the following to prove that LTTE has a deplorable human rights record. "During the past 25 years it has committed innumerable murders of Sinhalese, Muslim, and Tamil civilians, political assassinations in Sri Lanka and abroad, and suicide bombings with high loss of life. The LTTE has frequently targeted civilians with bombs and remote controlled landmines, killed perceived political opponents including many Tamil politicians, journalists, and members of rival organizations, and has forcibly recruited Tamils into its forces, many of them children. In the areas under its control, the LTTE has ruled through fear, denying basic freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and movement. During the current fighting, abuses have again mounted. In research conducted by Human Rights Watch in Sri Lanka from October through December 2008—including 35 interviews with eyewitnesses and humanitarian aid workers working in the north—we found extensive evidence of ongoing LTTE forced recruitment of civilians, widespread use of abusive forced labor, and improper and unjustified restrictions on civilians' freedom of movement"

Despite such reliable information from international human rights watch dogs such as Human Right Watch, it is indeed sad to watch some small groups of Tamil NZ residents participating in the LTTE world wide campaign of misinformation. Perhaps they may be acting under duress of possible threats of abuse and harm to them and their kith and kin in Sri Lanka.

We, the New Zealand Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka ( SPUR NZ) wish to tell our Tamil brethren that we are with you in agitating for the protection of the civilian Tamil population trapped in Vanni from forced recruitment of civilians including children, the widespread abusive forced labour and improper and unjustified restrictions on civilian's freedom of movement perpetrated by LTTE.

The Jaffna Catholic Bishop and other religious dignitaries have appealed the LTTE to release the civilians. The Tamil population in the Jaffna peninsula recently had a huge demonstration against LTTE and appealed the LTTE to release their brethren. The Tamil political leaders in the Eastern and Central Provinces have also raised their voices against LTTE. Even the Tamil National Alliance which was identified as the only political party sympathetic to LTTE has issued a statement recently critical of LTTE. The Indian Government assured their support to the Sri Lankan Government in its efforts to eradicate LTTE terrorism in Sri Lanka once and for all.

We wish to tell our Tamil brethren in New Zealand that the LTTE grip on your lives are finally coming to an end. The days that you had to secretly visit the Auckland based LTTE agent to pay ransom to buy a permit to visit your relatives in the North of Sri Lanka are coming to an end!

The Tamil population in the East gave a rousing welcome to the government forces when the East was liberated from LTTE Terrorist control. The Jaffna Peninsula did the same a few weeks ago. It is only a few square miles that is left now. Let us protect the people trapped in these areas by asking them to throw away the shackles of LTTE overlords and bravely and with dignity walk into the liberated areas!

ENDS

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