CHENNAI: The Sri Lankan government is committing genocide even in areas occupied by it, as it has no strong proposal for placating Tamils, according to Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a group of Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka.
The group’s Parliamentary party leader R.Sampanthan said: “What is happening in Lanka is genocide. Tamil people in army occupied areas are deprived of food, shelter and medicines. The army is systematically destroying buildings and the livelihoodrelated equipment owned by people in occupied areas,” he said and added: “The government is using food as a weapon.” The biggest concern is about 4 lakh people crammed into a small area in Wanni, “We fear at least half of them will be killed,” he said.
Moreover, the army advance is causing an exodus of Tamils to other parts of the world, which is helping the Sri Lankan government’s cause of eliminating Tamils. He also alleged that relief material sent by India was not reaching the Tamil people.
Political parties in Tamil Nadu must work hard for an Indian intervention.”In Sri Lanka there is no value for Tamil life, in India there is no value for Tamil opinion. The Prime Minister of India speaks about Palestine but not about Sri Lanka. Even after so much effort by Tamil Nadu parties the Central Government is not sending Pranab Mukerjee to Sri Lanka. Tamils are dying and it is a shame that 7 crore Tamils in India cannot do anything about it.” “Civilians are being killed despite an assurance by the Sri Lankan government to Manmohan Singh that civilians will not be harmed in the conflict.” He expects the upcoming visit of Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon to Sri Lanka to bring about positive changes.
“If India wants, it has the power to stop the war.”