War on the displaced Sri Lankan army and LTTE abuses against civilians in the Vanni

During the ongoing fighting in the Vanni, both the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law with respect to the conduct of hostilities. This report highlights how the high civilian casualties of recent months can be directly attributable to these violations. The authors argue that those responsible for willful violations, whatever their rank, should be held accountable for war crimes. The research for this report was conducted mainly in Vavuniya area of Sri Lanka where the majority of displaced persons from conflict areas in the Vanni currently are arriving

The report outlines violations by both sides of the conflict and the issues for humanitarian access. The plight of internally displaced people is discussed including screening procedures and the unknown fate of some detainees. The authors call on the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to act immediately to stop the ongoing slaughter of civilians. Both parties should facilitate the creation of a humanitarian corridor and otherwise respect the laws of war. The LTTE should allow civilians to leave the war zone and the SLA should stop shelling near densely populated areas, safe zones and hospitals. Additional recommendations include:

• those displaced civilians who reach the government side should be assisted but not interned
• the government should permit independent media and human rights organizations to go to the conflict area
• humanitarian agencies should be permitted to monitor the intake of displaced persons at checkpoints
• the LTTE must not use civilians as “human shields,” and take all feasible steps to avoid placing military targets near civilians.