David Miliband

Foreign Secretary

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Wednesday 13 May, 2009

Sri Lanka: Stop the killing

Secretary Clinton and I issued the following statement  on the situation in Sri Lanka yesterday. We have been gravely concerned by the most recent reports of killing of civilians in and around the no fire zone. 

Posted at 14:54 13 May 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[23]

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Honarable David Miliband, We wellcome your statement but doubt it howmuch effect that would make to the Sinhala Dominated Srilankan Goverment and their Rutheless Army which abuse Tamils Human Rights and Political Rights Since British left the IslandLast 61 Years.We are very desparate to save our Childrens,Ladies,Patients and all other Families.Please take the same action what UN take for Kosovo and Save the tamils. International Recognised Border and Self Administration Protect our innocent civilians from Baberic Blod Bath Which happening from 1958,1977, 1983,2009...My Village is under Army Controll in Jaffna by so called High Security zone that any one of us could not return our village last 25 Years. We lost everything and now living in Britan as Refugues. More than 250,000 Tamils live in Britan would be happy to go back home and live peacefully when Tamils Home Land Free from Srilanka.

Posted by Ragavan on May 13, 2009 at 04:15 PM BST #

Then please do something about it!! Strong words won't help, the Sri Lankan government have made it clear they will just ignore whatever is said about them, and continue in their massacre. What they will respond to is the IMF loan they want being delayed, to sanctions being applied to them by the UN, and to being expelled from the Commonwealth. Please do something that will actually make a difference to these suffering people, stop any more innocent people and children being killed, and ensure that those that have escaped the gun-fire are well treated and not kept prisoners in appalling conditions. The time for talking is well and truly over, this is the time for action.

Posted by Georgia Sandbach on May 13, 2009 at 05:40 PM BST #

Mr Miliband, I appreciate you making this statement, but this is not the time for the US and UK to be make painstakingly even-handed condemnations. The onus is clearly on the Sri Lankan government to stop their mass slaughter of civilians. Your "pox-on-all-your-houses neutrality" is absolving them of any obligation to stop this carnage. I strongly recommend you read this article: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1897632-2,00.html

Posted by Simon on May 13, 2009 at 05:44 PM BST #

'The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam must lay down their arms and allow civilians free passage out of the conflict zone.': Hooorah! Some pressure on the Tamil Tigers at long last!! 'The government of Sri Lanka must abide by its commitment of April 27 to end major combat operations and the use of heavy weapons': 'If I say we don't use heavy weapons, that means we don't. But these foreign envoys are prepared to believe the propaganda of a terrorist organisation' - President Rajapakse 30/04/2009. 'Secretary Clinton and Foreign Secretary Miliband call for a political solution that reconciles all Sri Lankans, and establishes a meaningful role for Tamil and other minorities in national political life': Mayor of Jaffna, Tamil, killed by LTTE 1975; Advisor to President, HR Activists & Havard Scholar, Tamil, killed by LTTE 1999; Foreign Minister, Tamil, killed by LTTE 2005 , Chief Whip of SLFP, Tamil, killed by LTTE 2008... notice a pattern?

Posted by Dinu Senadheera on May 13, 2009 at 06:18 PM BST #

David, LTTE called for the ceasefire several times, those calls were rejected by the terrorist-SLG Government. Would the international community take full responsibility of the Tamil safety and whether it is prepared to give full assurance to the justice/freedom and the aspirations of the Tamil people? David, please tell us from your heart whether the people in the internment camps are safe and treated equally to the Singhalese people? Are they being treated as Humans? LTTE is not holding the civilians; if you think LTTE is holding the people. Please send the independent media to find out the truth to the area? please don't say otherwise. I know people in the LTTE area, who scared to come to Government controlled area, as they would definitely tortured and ill-treated as they Young.

Posted by Oviaya on May 14, 2009 at 09:09 AM BST #

The civil war has now reached a stage where the Sri Lankan Government is killing large numbers of civilians through military action. These deaths are entirely avoidable. In their determination to crush all Tamil opposition, it is apparent that the Sri Lankan Government is willing to engage in brutality, bloodshed and oppression. The exclusion of journalists from the zone of conflict speaks for itself. In the current crowded refugee area, it is obvious that the use of artillery fire is causing much suffering and many unnecessary deaths. The Red Cross ICRC has said that it is witnessing an "unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe", with possibly 50,000-100,000 people trapped in a narrow coastal strip. I would urge the British Government to do everything possible to compel the Sri Lankan Government to stop the violence and to allow access by humanitarian and media organisations.

Posted by Andrew Judge on May 14, 2009 at 06:39 PM BST #

The international community appears to have the same amount of influence over the government of Sri Lanka as it did over the Bosnian Serbs when Srebrenica was perpetrated. This is a sovereign state that has signed up to and is bound by international humanitarian conventions. Whatever happened to Responsibility to Protect?

Posted by OwenE2 on May 15, 2009 at 06:40 AM BST #

Hi David, We all are paying the price in human life for the mistate the British made as a colonial power in the island. British are the one combined both the Tamil and the Sinhalease nations in the island and created an artificial state of ceylon Srilanka. If you want to permanantly cease the killings in the island, you need to de-merge Srilanka so that Tamils will live in their country and Sinhalise live in their country. Brition has a moral responsibility on this. Just words won't do the job. Need firm and immidiate action.

Posted by Thamilan on May 15, 2009 at 10:56 PM BST #

I got 3 question to you Dave. How can you expect Tamils to live together with the sinhalease who have used internationationally band white phosphorous on our brothers and sisters ? There are laws, which allows abused wife to separate from the husband. Surely the same law can be used to by the Tamils to separate from the Sinhalease ? We have been abused by Sinhalease ever since British left us in the meacy of the Sinhalease. How many more years you want us to be abused by the sinhalease? Please help us to get out of this SriLankan unitary state mess

Posted by Tamillan on May 15, 2009 at 11:15 PM BST #

A Blood Bath is expected to take place within 48 hours and Sri Lankan is expected to kill thousands of Tamils and food ,medicine is denied and the entire population are under whatever they can get if they come Sri Lankan army side they are detained in camps and have been subject to very tortures which Chennel 9 highlighted and which Tamil media has highlighted. Sri Lankan army is expected to launch a major offensive on the so called Safe Zone now a Killing zone.Please do everything possible to stop ii through I understand your limitations.

Posted by Nathan on May 15, 2009 at 11:45 PM BST #

Dear David, Thank you very much for your hard and dedicated work. As a British tamil, we are very grateful to you and your team. Unfortunately SL government is not listening to any one? There are killing thousands of people, including many childerns everday. Bombing and shelling randomly. Hospitals are being bombed again and agiain. SL Goverment is simply denying this reports and making International world as fools. I am very sad and wandering what is happening in this world. I can understood that, they are having a so called Terrorism. But it doesn't give any excuses to kill thouusands of innocent civilians. I know david, you are trying your maximum best to bring this matter to Security council. But I don't understand why you can not expel Srilankan government from Commonwelth. Regards Siv Johnosn

Posted by Siv Johnson on May 16, 2009 at 12:28 AM BST #

The Sri Lankan Tamils are caught between a rock and a hard place. Between the genocidal Sri Lankan govt. and the LTTE who have arguably perpetrated more violence against their own people than against the southern army. At this stage, only armed intervention by the UN can prevent the Sri Lankan govt perpetrating a "final solution". The govt. must take this up in the security council.

Posted by Bernard Jayasundera on May 16, 2009 at 07:31 AM BST #

Dear Mr David Miliband, So called "war on terror" and humanitarian operation" is now over at cost of thousands of Tamil civilian's lives and suffering, besides "call" for ceasefire from all international community. Are we at least now prepared genuinely to take those involved in war crimes, rather than just another "call" for justice please? My cousin was in "no fire zone" with her three little girls and after swept over her fate is unknown. I believe as citizen of Briton have right to know where about my cousin and her family is. As was a Tamil citizen of SriLanka In Srilanka, I never had this right neither all Tamil being detained barbed -wire "welfare camps".

Posted by Arun Sutharshan on May 18, 2009 at 05:31 PM BST #

Mr. David... I appreciate you concerns for the innocent civilian life lost in my part of the world.. I would take you seriously if you have issued the same concerned messages when Israeli was attacking a sovereign country and bombing UN establishment.. It's also nice to hear same stern messages toward LTTE when they killed my school's baseball team in a suicide bomb.. I would like to made a simple request from you.. Please let us solve our problems.. Actually we are sorting out some mess you guys left us with.. So please let us sort our problems we are a matured country.. with intelligent people.. Thanks

Posted by Akila Amarathunga on May 18, 2009 at 06:28 PM BST #

How anyone can say that the LTTE is fighting for the tamils is beyond me. After all the killings they have done on the rest of the tamils leadership, it should be in plain view that all they want is power/land not freedom or equality. Please refer to see how LTTE has come to power under the pretense of fighting for tamils. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/01/200912617918908981.html unbiased site

Posted by Rasika on May 18, 2009 at 07:18 PM BST #

As freedom activists in the Diaspora, we are numb, speechless; unable to absorb this indescribable atrocity perpetrated by the Rajapakse regime and its allies most notably China and India against Tamils in Vanni. It's a crime against humananity, a human catastrophe beyond comprehension, a horror of horrors, a cruel and indecent assault on the human rights of fellow human beings, on the fundamental right to life and liberty. Please read Richard Dixon's highly perceptive and courageous article in the Telegraph that serves as an indictment of the “real culprits behind the Sri Lankan War”, “for the killing of the innocence”; HE HAS ARTICULATED THE TRUTH THE UNFILTERED, BARE TRUTH. http://my.telegraph.co.uk/richarddixons/blog/2009/05/18/the_real_culprits_behind_sri_lankan_war

Posted by Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah on May 18, 2009 at 09:50 PM BST #

All of you, EU, UN, US & Britain, worked together with Govt of Srilanka by supplying weapons and giving funds to wipe out Tamils from the island of Srilanka. You are only great at making statements and shedding crocodile tears. Now you saw your friend damaged your High Commission in Colombo. Govt of Srilanka used Sinhala Mobs to attack your high commission. How can Tamils safely live in Colombo even your highly protected High Commisson is not safe? You wanted to wipe out Tamils Voice and have made us stand in the streets like orphans. Are you going to look after us? NOOO! Can you ensure there is any basic human right exist for a Tamil person in Srilanka? Then why Britain, EU & US talk about LAW & JUSTICE, but do the opposite in your day to day lives.

Posted by Mythily on May 19, 2009 at 05:50 PM BST #

Mr. Miliband, don't ignore the silent majority. The silen't majority of Sri Lankan diaspora is taking note of who is trying to gain from this human calamity.

Posted by George on May 20, 2009 at 04:37 PM BST #

Mr David, before you make any statement next time, please remember that Sri Lanka is no onger a colony of British kingdom. Sri Lanka has shown what it’s capable of doing for the last 3 years and it will solve the Tamil problem, if there’s any. The first world may have tagged Sri Lanka as a third world country in terms of finance, and that’s mainly due to looting carried out by the so called first world in the 19th century, but we are still much richer than first world, in terms of spiritual, social and cultural, some thing that invades could not loot from us. So we’ll take care of Tamils as our own and please just leave this beautiful country alone.

Posted by Upul on May 21, 2009 at 08:20 AM BST #

Mr. Milliband, Not a single word of appreciation from you and your government for saving over 150000 innocent tamils from LTTE cluthes by the Sri Lankan Defence Forces. I wonder why? For your information and all the diaspora who have been suporting the most brutal terrorist organization all these years, The tamil people of Sri Lanka are liberated from LTTE misery once and for all! The Tamils in Sri Lanka will enjoy the best time of their lives from now onwards!

Posted by Kirigalpoththa on May 21, 2009 at 09:18 AM BST #

Dear Mr Milliband, Please see this link: http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/asia_pacific/fresh+claims+over+tamil+casualties/3217257 We need justice; our people who are in the Concentration camps should be freed. I don’t understand you UK & USA took action on Iraq, why you are waiting for. An independent investigation should be done on the War crimes, which happened in Sri-lanka. We need justice from international community and Tamils should be given self-determination. They can’t live in fear and as second-class citizen.

Posted by Oviya on June 18, 2009 at 08:54 AM BST #

Dear Mr Milliband, where is your voice now regarding 300,000 innocent tamils detained in the Camps without proper facilities & freedom.

Posted by Oviya on July 31, 2009 at 09:46 AM BST #

Dear Mr Miliband, Please see the below link http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/08/17/sri-lanka-floods-threaten-camp-detainees I don't know what the UK Foreign ministry & UN is doing now? I don't underdstand the meaning of the Human rights?

Posted by Oviya on August 19, 2009 at 07:43 AM BST #

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