People's Democracy

Stop the Fighting in Sri Lanka: 

Killing of School Children Condemned

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on August 16, 2006

The conflict in Sri Lanka between the government’s armed forces and the LTTE is escalating daily. The shocking incident of scores of school girls and boys being killed in an air force bombing in Mullaitivu district is strongly condemnable. It highlights the growing number of civilian casualties. Hundreds of lives have been lost in the outbreak of hostilities in the northern and eastern region. Thousands of people have been displaced in the Jaffna peninsula.

The Sri Lankan government should immediately halt aerial bombing of civilian areas in the north-eastern province. The LTTE which aggravated the situation by disrupting water supplies near Trincomalee should immediately halt its provocative actions. The ceasefire should be adhered to in letter and spirit by both sides.

The Polit Bureau urges both sides to observe restrain and explore avenues for resumption of negotiations. The government of India should use all diplomatic and political channels to ensure that Sri Lanka does not slide into a full scale civil war.