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NGOs: set up safe corridor for citizens

COLOMBO: Amid reports of pitched battles between the Sri Lanka forces and LTTE in the north, a ground situation report on Vavuniya and Wanni, released here on Saturday by a group civil society organisations, has emphasised the need for the government and LTTE to arrive at an understanding on setting up a “humanitarian corridor” to ensure safe passage for civilians.

The group included representatives from Centre for Policy Alternatives and Women and Media Collective. The group visited Vavuniya on September 11-12 to assess the security situation and to monitor the humanitarian situation in Wanni and the possible influx of internally displaced persons.

“In the wake of fierce fighting in Wanni, Vavuniya has become a hub for the security forces. The Wanni Military Headquarters is based in Vavuniya. Hence there is a heavy presence of the Army, Air Force and STF, and a steady movement of personnel, vehicles and equipment in the district. The militarisation is intended to consolidate control of the area, but it has created problems for civilians who face further restrictions on movement and feel vulnerable due to the presence of military installations in close proximity to civilian areas,” it said. It has urged the Human Rights Committee in the District Secretary’s office be activated to ensure the protection of children who had been recruited and then released.

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