All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity

The All-Party Group’s Chair concerned about Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka

Ottawa, (April 23, 2009) – Mr. Paul Dewar, the Chair of the Canadian All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity (the APPG) has expressed deep concern about the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka and crimes against humanity committed against Tamil civilians in the northern regions of Sri Lanka.

“We call for nothing less than an immediate ceasefire” said Dewar. “Humanitarian aid agencies and media must be given unfettered access to civilians”.

Fighting between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in northern Sri Lanka has trapped large numbers of people in a 12km-long “no fire” zone. Despite a recent two-day ceasefire, the United Nations estimates that there are currently some 150,000 of Tamil civilians still trapped in this zone where they were seeking refuge from the fighting. According to Dewar, the two-day ceasefire was “woefully inadequate” in easing the plight of Tamil civilians trapped in the “no fire” zone.

“Trapping these civilians in this zone is clearly a crime against humanity,” Dewar concluded.