11 April,2009 09:27 AM IST | | PTI
Expressing deep concern about the plight of Tamil civilians trapped in the northern war-zones, the US has asked a visiting Sri Lankan official to take steps to protect them.
The Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Richard Boucher, on Friday held talks with visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department.
"Assistant Secretary Boucher emphasised US concern about the plight of the civilians trapped in the 'no fire zone' in northern Sri Lanka and urged Foreign Secretary Kohona to protect civilians," said the State Department Deputy Acting Spokesman, Richard Aker.
The two officials discussed the situation in displaced persons camps. Boucher emphasised the need to have a clear plan for expeditious resettlement of displaced persons, Aker said in a statement.
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"At this meeting the United States reiterated our call with the other co-chairs (Japan, Norway, and EU) for the Tamil Tigers to allow civilians to move freely away from the zone and out of harm's way," Aker said in a statement after the meeting.
A conference call among representatives of the Tokyo co-chairs (US, European Union, Norway and Japan) was held at the initiative of the United States on Thursday.
"Co-Chair members expressed urgent concern for the safety of more than a hundred thousand people trapped by the conflict between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a narrow strip of land in northern Sri Lanka," the State Department said in a statement after the conference.
Calling on the Tamil Tigers to permit freedom of movement for the civilians in the area, the Tokyo co-chairs also discussed the need for the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to respect the 'no fire zone' and protect the civilians trapped there.
Reaffirming the need to stop shelling into the 'no fire zone' to prevent further civilian casualties, the representatives of Tokyo co-chairs stressed the importance of a humanitarian pause and of ensuring that adequate supplies of food, water and medicine reach the civilians in the zone.
