Media Release 9 May 2000
An international coalition of aid agencies and human rights organisations has called for urgent action by the United Nations and member governments to avert an impending humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. The call comes as the Sri Lankan Government yesterday rejected a temporary ceasefire offer in the northern Jaffna peninsula by the armed opposition Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE offer was conditional on the evacuation of 40,000 Sri Lankan Government person-nel who are under siege and relatively isolated but are reportedly being re-inforced with new weaponry to defend Jaffna and the nearby Palali air base.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is requesting that all Asian Governments support urgent UN action to avert the immediate threat to the lives and security of 500,000 civilians and also the combatants of both sides due to fighting in the Jaffna peninsula.

Launching the statement in Asia, Mr. Wong Kai Shing, AHRC Executive Officer, said 'The international community should urge all parties to agree to an immediate cessation of military activity in the peninsula, given that 17 years of fighting has proven no military solution is viable. A cease-fire could strengthen existing offers of help towards peace negotiations by third party mediators such as the Norwegian government. AHRC urges all parties to the conflict to begin immediate dialogue to resolve the present crisis in a manner that ensures compliance with international humanitarian law and minimises the risk to both civilians and combatants.' 

He added, 'The urgent need now is to concentrate on getting those in danger out safely and preventing the burgeoning violence in the south, rather than escalating the violence in the north. Indications are that disgruntled groups are already mobilising and are on the verge of taking vengeance on minority Tamils living in the South. There is a very real possibility that the situation will degenerate into chaos, once again creating situations such as the events of July 1983 or the 1988-92 program of mass disappearances. To prevent this scenario, AHRC has asked President Kumaratunga to issue a nation-wide address to urge restraint amongst the law enforcement officials, civilians, armed forces and the various political, racial and religious groups in Sri Lanka.'

The NGO statement also calls for:
*the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Mary Robinson, to immediately visit Jaffna and Colombo to assess the current situation and investigate the possibility of establishing a human rights monitoring team throughout Sri Lanka,
*protection of freedom of expression and information, and
action to avert possible inter-ethnic violence in southern Sri Lanka. 
*Mr. Wong explained, 'In our experience, the best means by which to prevent the chaos that the current events in Sri Lanka proscribe is for UN-sponsored Human Rights Monitors to be brought in expediently across the entire country. An urgent visit to different parts of the country by Mrs. Robinson would no doubt discover the value of dispatching monitors to prevent violations of human rights in both the military zone and the towns and cities of the rest of the country.'

The Humanitarian Crisis in Sri Lanka: A Joint Statement and Call for Action by Non-Governmental Organisations was issued by: the Australian Council for Overseas Aid; Conciliation Resources-UK ; Asian Human Rights Commission - Hong Kong ; Bread for the World - Germany; Catholic Agency for Overseas Development -UK; Asia Pacific Center for Justice and Peace -USA ;International Working Group on Sri Lanka - UK and the Life and Peace Institute - Norway.