In the final phase of the war in Sri Lanka between the Sri Lankan Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam it is very likely, that a humanitarian disaster will occur.

Since January 2009 according to UN more than 6.500 civilians have been killed and more than 13.500 have been wounded. Approximately 200.000 people have been displaced. Many of them are kept in army run detention camps. Nobody knows, how many civilians are still trapped in the combat zone, one estimates at least 50.000.

The government of Sri Lanka is convinced that it can resolve the conflict by militarily defeating the LTTE and is willing to risk the lives of the civilians. It is demanding the unconditional surrender of the LTTE.

The LTTE uses the civilians as human shield. A humanitarian disaster for them would prove that an independent state can be the only viable solution.
The International Community including the UN is incapable of action, as there cannot be a consensus reached at the UN Security Council.

As representatives of a global civil society we call for

1) an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and provision of food and medicine to the civilians trapped in the combat zone;
2) a negotiated process for conditional surrender of the LTTE, which allows the evacuation of civilians from the combat zone;
3) the immediate resettlement of the civilians held in the detention camps;
4) a negotiated process for a political settlement including all Sri Lankan stakeholders.

We urge both parties, the Government of Sri Lanka, as well as the LTTE to cease all hostilities and to foremost guarantee the safety of the civilians, as nothing justifies their killing.