Click to play videoNew Delhi: The United Nations is appalled at the deaths of innocent civilians as the fighting in the Sri Lanka’s east enters the final phase in a toughly worded statement Secretary General Ban Ki Moon demanded that "Colombo explore all possible options to bring the conflict to an end without further bloodshed. The separatist Tamil Tiger rebels must agree to a halt in the fighting. Thousands of Sri Lankans have already died in the past several months due to the conflict, and more still remain in grave danger."
The US and Britain have reportedly threatened to block a $1.9 billion emergency loan. This in the wake of reports that 45 civilians were reportedly killed overnight during army shelling of the No Fire Zone, a charge the government denies.
Meanwhile, minister for disaster management and human rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe said, “Categorical position of the government is that we are still not using long range weapons and aerial bombardments because of the civilians who are been held hostage there.”
The LTTE has kept up the propaganda barrage. It claimed that displaced Tamil civilians were being detained by the army in special camps in Jaffna.
It demanded international monitors be granted access to the camps. It also called for an air drop of essential supplies into the No Fire Zone.
However, Colombo is sticking to its guns with the expectation that in the next 48 hours the 30 year war against the LTTE would be over.
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