Saving the distress people in Sri Lanka
Joe Fleishman
May 25, 2009
Humanitarian crisis is looming Sri Lanka. After three decades of civil war Sri Lanka is now straggling to establish full control of Provakaranīs land. Provakaran is now dead but his legacy is still remaining. Sri Lankan government is now facing widespread criticism internationally for keeping the world in total darkness for what is happening inside the former LTTE territory.
Sri Lankanīs are happy but world opinions are not. It is feared that the death toll could be much higher than Sri Lankan authorities are claiming. Real story is fuzzy and difficult to examine as journalist and aid workers are barred from that region. Sri Lanka however is having their full confidence on their military, saying that the military is doing the right thing. There is no need for any foreign aid at this moment. But the aid agencies are not convinced.
Few days ago UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has visited the affected areas from the air. He was deeply regretted what he saw. Later told to the journalist he saw clear sign of destruction down there. Moon also urged the Sri Lankan government to allow aid workers in the region which Sri Lanka was ultimately denied.
When the war was there Sri Lanka had an excuse not to allow journalist or aid workers in the area as it was a war zone. But now what they are telling is difficult to accept. War is over, they have achieved their prophecy so now there is no reason to deprive the world see what happened.
Many humanitarian agencies have asked for war crime charge against both Sri Lanka and Tamil authorities. The idea is not turn down by the UN. Rather there is a good chance that the UN may have call for an investigation of the war crime against Sri Lankan and Tamil authorities.
Top Tamil official are thought to have been killed in the war but Sri Lankan authorities are there. If UN ask is for a war crime it would be difficult for Sri Lanka to evade. So there has been a possibility that the Sri Lankanīs are afraid to face such charges. With the intention of avoid the war crime charges may be Sri Lanka is taking time to remove evidence of the crime. All over the world aid agencies are accused for providing poor pictures of the areas to the world. In many places like Sudan foreign aid agencies were asked to leave from their country. No wonder if Sri Lankanīs are thinking something like that.
If the aid agencies are allowed in the area they will tell the world the actual figure of the war. Similar cause is for the journalists as well. May be in future Sri Lanka will allow access to all of them but before that they will cleanup the mass and will show the world that the war was peaceful.
Doing this Sri Lanka is taking another risk. The more Tamil people will die the more anger will grow. In 1983 Tamils couldnīt show the world what was happening in there but in 2009 world can see many things. So when the war was there authorities had some points to tell. Now they have nothing. Delaying is not the solution for Sri Lanka. It will raise many questions if the delay will last long.
UN and other aid agencies are telling that Sri Lanka is now in desperate need of massive amount of aid which they are refusing and this way letting these people die which could escalate tension once again. Sri Lanka must not forget that consequences.
Sri Lankanīs are happy but world opinions are not. It is feared that the death toll could be much higher than Sri Lankan authorities are claiming. Real story is fuzzy and difficult to examine as journalist and aid workers are barred from that region. Sri Lanka however is having their full confidence on their military, saying that the military is doing the right thing. There is no need for any foreign aid at this moment. But the aid agencies are not convinced.
Few days ago UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has visited the affected areas from the air. He was deeply regretted what he saw. Later told to the journalist he saw clear sign of destruction down there. Moon also urged the Sri Lankan government to allow aid workers in the region which Sri Lanka was ultimately denied.
When the war was there Sri Lanka had an excuse not to allow journalist or aid workers in the area as it was a war zone. But now what they are telling is difficult to accept. War is over, they have achieved their prophecy so now there is no reason to deprive the world see what happened.
Many humanitarian agencies have asked for war crime charge against both Sri Lanka and Tamil authorities. The idea is not turn down by the UN. Rather there is a good chance that the UN may have call for an investigation of the war crime against Sri Lankan and Tamil authorities.
Top Tamil official are thought to have been killed in the war but Sri Lankan authorities are there. If UN ask is for a war crime it would be difficult for Sri Lanka to evade. So there has been a possibility that the Sri Lankanīs are afraid to face such charges. With the intention of avoid the war crime charges may be Sri Lanka is taking time to remove evidence of the crime. All over the world aid agencies are accused for providing poor pictures of the areas to the world. In many places like Sudan foreign aid agencies were asked to leave from their country. No wonder if Sri Lankanīs are thinking something like that.
If the aid agencies are allowed in the area they will tell the world the actual figure of the war. Similar cause is for the journalists as well. May be in future Sri Lanka will allow access to all of them but before that they will cleanup the mass and will show the world that the war was peaceful.
Doing this Sri Lanka is taking another risk. The more Tamil people will die the more anger will grow. In 1983 Tamils couldnīt show the world what was happening in there but in 2009 world can see many things. So when the war was there authorities had some points to tell. Now they have nothing. Delaying is not the solution for Sri Lanka. It will raise many questions if the delay will last long.
UN and other aid agencies are telling that Sri Lanka is now in desperate need of massive amount of aid which they are refusing and this way letting these people die which could escalate tension once again. Sri Lanka must not forget that consequences.
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