Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó hUigínn as ucht an cheist tábhachtach seo a ardú.

My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Micheál Martin - who apologises for his absence - has repeatedly deplored the horrific humanitarian situation which exists in parts of war-torn northern Sri Lanka, including the Vanni region. It is clear from reports that the situation in Vanni has become intolerable. The most recent estimates from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN, covering the period from 26 March to 2 April, suggest that between 150,000 and 200,000 people are still trapped in the region. Conditions for civilians have continued to deteriorate, with credible reports of an intensification of shelling in the Government-declared no-fire zone, resulting in an average of 60 to 70 deaths per day.

The combat zone has continued to shrink as Government forces have pressed forward with heavy artillery, air strikes and mortar exchanges. The UN places the numbers of killed and wounded well into the thousands, as Deputy Higgins has said, with the vast majority of casualties occurring inside the densely-packed no-fire zone. As the hold by Government forces on Vanni has tightened, more reports are emerging of pressure from the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam, LTTE, on the civilian population. These include the forced recruitment of men and women and even of children as young as 12 years old; at least one mass execution of civilians; mass corporal punishment; retribution against civilians who try to prevent forced recruitment; the blocking of corridors for civilians trying to leave the combat area; the placing of weapons in areas of civilian concentration; and the diversion and possible withholding of humanitarian aid from civilians.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Government have been following the situation in Sri Lanka with grave concern. In a statement issued on 8 February and in reply to parliamentary questions on 10 and 12 February and 24 March, the Minister called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full access for humanitarian relief. European Union foreign ministers have also expressed their deep concern about the humanitarian crisis, including the vast number of internally displaced people trapped by the fighting, as well as the continuing reports of high civilian casualties. In particular, they have stressed the need for both the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to comply with the provisions of international humanitarian law and the principles of the laws of war and have called for an immediate ceasefire to facilitate full and unrestricted access to the conflict area, allowing humanitarian aid to be safely delivered and civilians to leave.

These points were made directly by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Sri Lankan Ambassador during a meeting in Dublin on 23 February last. The Minister mentioned in particular our deep concerns about the humanitarian situation in the country - which is affecting not only Tamil civilians but the entire population - as well as the importance of addressing the underlying causes of the conflict through a comprehensive negotiated political settlement. These concerns were repeated yesterday by our Ambassador in New Delhi, who is accredited to Sri Lanka, when he spoke to the Sri Lankan Ambassador there.

We continue to take the firm view that there can be no military solution to Sri Lanka's political difficulties. A lasting peace settlement will require reconciliation and a political process aimed at protecting the interests of all the citizens of Sri Lanka and enshrining the principle of parity of esteem among its divided communities. Ireland would welcome further activity by the international community, particularly by the UN Security Council, to bring about a swift resolution to the conflict. Should the relevant parties seek our advice with regard to a negotiated peace process, we would give consideration as to how we could best help.

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