Sri Lanka rejected international calls to halt its final offensive against Tamil rebels on Thursday, hours after the United Nations Security Council called for civilian lives to be spared.
Instead, troops pressed ahead with their major push aimed at completely defeating the remaining Tiger fighters, the military said as the former colonial power, Britain, raised the prospect of a war crimes investigation.
The military insists that it does not target civilians and that the current offensive is also aimed at freeing tens of thousands of civilians still held by rebels as a human shield.
“More than 2,000 people crossed over to government-controlled areas today (Thursday)” and a further 2,000 people were lined up waiting to flee, military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said.
Britain said the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka was “truly shocking.” “We would support an early investigation into all incidents that may have resulted in civilian casualties ... to determine whether war crimes have been committed,” junior Foreign Minister Bill Rammell said.
Sri Lanka remained defiant despite the calls to halt the onslaught against the Tamil separatists who are said to be on the verge of defeat after 37 years of fighting.
“We are not going to succumb to international pressure to stop the offensive,” said Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, who argued that Sri Lanka was being unfairly targeted.
“In Pakistan and Afghanistan there are similar conflicts but no one is asking them to have a peace agreement or a ceasefire,” Mr Abeywardena told reporters.
“There is no international pressure there,” he added. “Why only target us?” His comments followed a statement issued late Wednesday by the UN Security Council urging both Colombo and the Tigers to “ensure the safety of civilians” and “respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.” —
