April, 16 2009, 01:45pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
AIUSA media office,Email:,media@aiusa.org,Phone: 202-544-0200 x302
Immediate Humanitarian Truce Needed So Trapped Sri Lankan Civilians Can Reach Safety
LONDON
Amnesty International calls on the government
of Sri Lanka and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) to declare
an immediate humanitarian truce so an estimated 100,000 desperate civilians
caught in the middle of the conflict zone can leave for safety.
An official two-day ceasefire between the
Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tigers expired yesterday. However, Amnesty
International contacted two medical professionals working in a health facility
in the no - fire zone who described a scene of chaos. Urgent humanitarian
aid is needed as reports emerge that food and medical supplies are running
low.
One medical worker reports that 92 injured
civilians have been brought to the hospital today and fighting is intensifying.
Another medical worker reported 75 casualties had arrived at the hospital
yesterday with gunshot wounds and at least 12 civilians were killed. Medical
supplies are running low and the hospital had run out of anesthetic, surgical
blades and basic medications.
Amnesty International is unable to verify
these reports as the conflict zone has, in effect, been sealed off by the
Sri Lankan government denying aid workers and independent human rights
observers access to the area. The United Nations reported in March that
more than 2,800 civilians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured
since the beginning of the year.
The United Nations also reports that Tamil
Tiger fighters killed six civilians trying to flee the conflict zone during
the ceasefire.
"An urgent humanitarian pause must be implemented
immediately. Thousands of civilians are in grave danger from the continuing
fighting and are in fear for their lives. The government of Sri Lanka needs
to allow independent monitors to ensure that civilians feel safe to come
out of the Tamil Tiger controlled areas. The Tamil Tigers must also
ensure that civilians are not being used as a buffer against government
forces", said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia Pacific Director.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning
grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters,
activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human
rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates
and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice,
freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization.
(212) 807-8400LATEST NEWS
Amid Spying Fight, House Passes Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act
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While applauding the U.S. House of Representatives' bipartisan passage of a bill to ensure that "law enforcement and intelligence agencies can't do an end-run around the Constitution by buying information from data brokers" on Wednesday, privacy advocates highlighted that Congress is trying to extend and expand a long-abused government spying program.
The House voted 219-199 for Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act (FANFSA), which won support from 96 Democrats and 123 Republicans, including the lead sponsor, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio). Named for the constitutional amendment that protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, H.R. 4639 would close what campaigners call the data broker loophole.
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The House notably included an amendment forcing a wide range of individuals and businesses to cooperate with government spying operations but rejected an amendment that would have added a warrant requirement to the bill, which the Senate could vote on as soon as Thursday.
Noting those decisions on the FISA reauthorization legislation, Ruddock stressed that "today's vote is a victory but follows a recent loss and ongoing threat as that Section 702 bill moves to the Senate this week too."
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Since 2011, the U.N. Security Council has rejected the Palestinian Authority's request for full member status. On April 2, the Palestinian Observer Mission to the U.N. requested that the council once again take up consideration of its membership application. According to the first State Department cable, U.N. meetings since the beginning of April suggest that Algeria, China, Guyana, Mozambique, Russia, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, and Malta support granting Palestine full membership to the U.N. It also says that France, Japan, and Korea are undecided, while the United Kingdom will likely abstain from a vote.
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