End the Siege
CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE END TO THE SIEGE IN MUTTUR
Over the last 48 hours the town of Muttur has been under siege and the situation is rapidly deteriorating. There is little factual information regarding the ground situation in Muttur but according to some sources at least 20 civilians have been killed, more than 50 injured and 30,000 plus displaced. The town’s food medical and water supplies are rapidly running out. Under the onslaught of artillery bombardment the town’s residents want to flee but are effectively trapped in the town.
The violence in Muttur has intensified as the Sri Lankan Armed Forces are attempting to drive out the LTTE, who are presently within the town. The Muttur Siege is itself a spillover of a battle down stream in and around Mavil Aru. As both sides were unable to reach an understanding on the water dispute, the LTTE responded by closing the sluice gate at Mavil Aru to which the state reacted by ordering an aerial bombardment and a ground offensive. As the two sides have attempted to secure control through offensives and counter offensives the civilians have been caught in the middle. The LTTE reportedly infiltrated Muttur and is said to be in control of parts of the town while simultaneously launching mortar attacks on key targets within the Town and nearby army camps. The security forces are attacking LTTE positions, carrying out artillery attacks on Muttur and launching an aerial bombardment of Sampur. As of 17:00 hours August 3rd the LTTE remains in Muttur and the armed forces continue their artillery barrage on Muttur.
Both sides are insisting that they are fighting for humanitarian reasons and that civilians are not targets but it is the civilians who have to bear the brunt of the violence. The battle for the town effectively makes the civilians human shields. Given that Muttur is a populated urban settlement the armed forces’ artillery and the LTTE’s mortar attacks are indiscriminate. An artillery shell hit the Arabic College in Muttur at approximately 13:00 hours, killing ten civilians who were seeking shelter there and injuring scores of others. Both sides have charged the other responsible for the ‘misfire.’ Neither side has, however ceased their use of heavy weapons.
Many of the town’s residents have reportedly left their homes and sought shelter in schools, mosques and churches. Although these buildings, according to international humanitarian law, are safe zones for civilians during armed conflict, as the Arabic College incident clearly shows civilians are not safe even there. The maternity unit of the Muttur District Hospital was hit by a shell on August 2nd which led to the closure of the hospital thereby intensifying the humanitarian crisis. The town is running short of basic supplies as no rations are coming through and international and local agencies who attempt to bring supplies through can not secure a guarantee from both sides that they would not be attacked. An ambulance from Muttur was fired on in Seruvila on the 2nd killing three civilians including the ambulance driver. Both sides are demonstrating a fundamental disregard for civilian life and humanitarian norms.
The civilians are faced with a stark choice: each side have made demands on the civilians to evacuate, to make to it easier for them to achieve their politico-military strategy. With the ferry system shut down and the violence spreading across the coastline and the hinterland of East Trincomalee it is clear that flight to safety is itself a dangerous process. Flight is not the first choice for the civilians who first and foremost want an end to the artillery bombardment and violence, a delivery of basic supplies and a return to normalcy. Both sides have made statements expressing willingness to agree to a ‘ceasefire’ and to devise humanitarian measures, but the violence continues.
On the morning of August 4th a decision was made by the Muttur Muslim Community to flee en mass as the firing has not stopped despite their pleas. An estimated 20,000 + people planned to walk with white flags from Muttur to Kantale. At the last minute a convoy was arranged.
While providing humanitarian assistance is an urgent requirement to address the basic needs of the displaced, it is an unsustainable solution. The situation requires immediate political action.
We the undersigned demand;
a.) An immediate cessation of hostilities, especially an end to artillery bombardment of Muttur
b.) Guaranteed safe passage by both sides for humanitarian relief to Muttur and for the wounded and the vulnerable to be evacuated
c.) An immediate negotiation on the Maavil Aru Issue to ensure that the civilians of all ethnic communities have access to water.
d.) Recognition by both parties of ‘Safe Zones’ such as schools and religious institution where civilians can seek refuge during periods of violence.
Speak out and protest against the situation today, friday the 4th of August at Lipton Circus.
Please be sure to sign and express your support for this important initiative by posting comments.
Please count me as a supporter. This must be stopped.
Comment by R — August 4, 2006 @ 11:10 am
Damn!!!! Really sad..would have loved to have been at the march…only just read about it :s…
Comment by Yanik — August 4, 2006 @ 12:47 pm
thank you - i support, we support you. You have put in words what we cannot.
keep everyone accountable - that is the most important thing.
very, very proud of you.
Comment by ashanthi — August 4, 2006 @ 1:19 pm
why was there no attempt by any ngo peaceniks to address the water issue in the 10 or so days before offensive was launched?
this is too late.
Comment by sittingnut — August 4, 2006 @ 3:47 pm
anyway the government has offered a ceasefire in order that relief reach civilians.
are the (anonymous?) organizers going to continue to protests against ltte’s refusal to ceasefire? when is that protest going to be held?
and why do they call only for negotiations about the water? why not call for opening of it so that pl ( from all communities btw this not a simple racial issue as this document implies) who had been deprived of it for 15 days have some relief? then start negotiations. or are they approving a war crime as a legitimate negotiating tactic?
btw characterizing this as a ’siege’ is wrong . this sort of over simplistic statements does not help. you would have done better to refer to ‘fighting’ at muttur and in several other areas in the vicinity.
btw characterizing this as a ’siege’ is wrong . this sort of over simplistic statements does not help. you would have done better to refer to ‘fighting’ at muttur and in several other areas in the vicinity.
Comment by sittingnut — August 4, 2006 @ 5:02 pm
My response to the same post in Moju:
“While I applaud the attempt to organize a protest I think the timing makes it pointless. This protest should have been organized when the water was cut off, before the ground offensive was launched or at the least when govt planes started bombing in response. Of course the most opportune moments for organizing such protests would have been when Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated, when the attempt on Sarath Fonseka was made or even when Kulatunge was assassinated.
Acts of terror in other countries like Spain have brought about demonstrations. That the above acts didnt precipitate demonstrations to the LTTE to stop fooling around and actually start trying to honour the ceasefire is tragic. This is a poor reflection of the organizational and mental capacity of the Peace Support Group and civil society concerned with the peace process.”
Please understand that I am not some sort of lunatic warmonger…but at the end of the day one has to ask questions about the timing of this action…I for one cannot find fault with what the GOSL said about why they started this attack…water is a fundamental right, not up for negotiation.
For the record even though the LTTE is trying to portray the closing of the canal a protest by civilians they stated they closed it to protest GOSL not building a water tower in LTTE controlled areas. Bit ironic that one day they try to kill our Commander in Chief and then the next day ask us to build infrastructure in their areas…no?
Comment by childof25 — August 5, 2006 @ 5:20 am
as i always say : protests to me aren’t about anything as much as it is about voicing my opinion. i need to remind people that i exist ; and that i give a shit. that’s all.
Comment by electra — August 5, 2006 @ 10:25 am
Protesting (though pointless) is your business; I guess in a way its good that someone makes a fuss about this nonsense, so its not the protesting i’m against (although it is a gross waste of time) its more the reason for protesting and its timing…the post, in a very subtle way doesnt condemn the LTTE as much as they should be condemned, its like a cautious. play-it-safe, protest! almost as if your turning a blind eye to what the Tigers are doing…and your doing so by part blaming the Army/Air Force. and THATS whats dissapointing. protest about the LTTE, outright, open and honestly. and you can count me and many more in.
Comment by Dimithri Perera — August 6, 2006 @ 2:57 pm
does this count as protesting outright, openly and honestly? http://peopleforpeace-ha.blogspot.com/2006/08/concerned-citizens-of-sri-lanka-urge.html
more pictures available at http://peopleforpeace-ha.blogspot.com/
Comment by Mala — August 6, 2006 @ 4:32 pm
What exactly is the point of condemnation?
All it does is alienate even further. People are so keen on taking one side against the other and that is the reason we have this problem in the first place.
Not just in Sri Lanka but all over, the fate of the world is in the hands of fools who are too proud and too concerned about themselves to actually stand up for what’s right.
None of us have any fucking idea what it’s really like for all those people suffering out there. Its so easy to be apathetic and criticize all efforts to bring about change with these “logical ” arguments. It’s also easy to forget who we really want this change for and in fact, whether we even want it in the first place.
Any sort of stand for peace, no matter how small or how (allegedly) badly timed is far from pointless. People change the world in the end. Individuals change the world.
Think different.
Comment by Asvajit — August 6, 2006 @ 5:16 pm
dimithri : we’re not protesting against the LTTE or the GoSL. it’s not a condemnation of either side. we’re protesting against violence, the unnecessary killings of innocent civilians, the blatant violation of the rights of the people that live in the areas in which this war is unfolding. we’re protesting, quite simply, against war crimes against people that are innocent and uninvolved. all anyone does is condemn the other side. no one really stops to think about the innocent civilians, once again caught in the cross-fire, being blown to bits for no good reason. our protest is not a condemnation of anything other than the war - and the gruesome way in which it affects us all - itself.
Comment by electra — August 6, 2006 @ 5:23 pm
stand up for what’s right
what is ‘right’ ? care to explain what you mean by that exactly? bc all these protests are very vague as to the intent and and lacking in ‘logic’ as you yourself admit.
Any sort of stand for peace, no matter how small or how (allegedly) badly timed is far from pointless.
what kind of peace? that is the question that is left unanswered.
a peace where ppl are left to suffer tiger oppression? a peace where children are killed for not killing others? a peace while we can protest and ‘prove our existence’ here, millions of ppl’s are held in bondage there as if they do not exist ? a peace that allows mass murders to get free ? a peace that allows tigers the right to use threats and violence ( as here in with holding water hostage ) to demand what they want at any time ? peace that does not allow freedom, human rights, justice, and democracy?
ppl who stand for peace at any cost (peaceniks) are the ones who are myopic and apathetic.
Think different.
:-) think for yourself! do not parrot received opinion, whether from ad slogan’s, your family’s or friends’.
we’re protesting, quite simply, against war crimes against people that are innocent and uninvolved.
good .but do that in unambiguous language and always.
most ppl are skeptical about peacenik protests bc instead of protest when water was cut off they have selective protests at certain times only, instead of calling for immediate unconditional release of water, they call for water be used as a bargaining tool ( which is a war crime, seriously, look it up ), instead of calling for dropping of sole representative status (which is a blatant suppression of rights) they automatically assume ltte acts on tamil’s behalf ( for which no serious claim can be made ) . etc. etc.
it is that sort language that make ppl distrust this and think it is either biased or naive.
Comment by sittingnut — August 7, 2006 @ 4:32 am
http://moju.lk/2006/08/07/the-right-to-life-to-live/
Comment by Mala — August 7, 2006 @ 2:15 pm
Ok…so (maybe) your not talking sides, but your timing would imply otherwise…i mean think about it…none of you protested any of the other “humanitarian” vilolations, but once the forces step up the heat, there you are, banners, placards and all! i believe when you say you’re there to protest against violence. plain and simple. but your HORRIBLE timing would suggest otherwise! think of it from that angle. its simple really. everyone is pissed off about your timing. NOT the fact that you think protesting for peace is a solution. its something “implied” something to do with your timing…get it? THINK!!!
Comment by Dimithri Perera — August 8, 2006 @ 2:23 pm
These sorts of protests have no grassroots support. They do not represent anyone except themselves and their organisations. They are just photo ops for the media. Really, who gives a shit?
Comment by Just Mal — August 12, 2006 @ 2:25 pm
But I must agree though, it’s a nice way of alleviating your boredom and getting some exercise.
Comment by Just Mal — August 12, 2006 @ 2:27 pm