* India appeals Sri Lanka to work out safe passage for trapped civilians
Saturday, February 28, 2009, 16:54 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Indian government, facing elections in few months of time, is under pressure from its Tamil coalition partners,...

Feb 28, New Delhi: India urged the Sri Lankan government today to immediately work out safe passage to evacuate civilians trapped to secure locations from the small area rebels are still holding in the North of the country.

India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee issuing a statement asked the Sri Lankan government to take up on the recent offer of a ceasefire from the LTTE to bring about a pause in the hostilities to facilitate the evacuation of civilians out of the war zone.

"The pause in hostilities must be utilized to facilitate the movement of Tamil population out of the war-affected areas to secure locations where proper rehabilitation is possible and international aid organisations, as also the ICRC, have free access and scope to provide medical and other forms of humanitarian aid," Muhkherjee said.

However, Mukherjee pointed out the effort would require the cooperation of the LTTE which may not come despite their call for ceasefire.

The LTTE completely ignored a 48-hour truce period the Sri Lankan government offered last month to evacuate the trapped civilians. LTTE's latest call for the ceasefire came after their failed suicide air attack on Colombo on February 20 in which both LTTE aircraft were shot down by the Sri Lankan Air Force.

External Affairs Minister said the Government of India is making arrangements to send an emergency medical unit and medicines to render medical assistance to internally displaced persons in Northern Sri Lanka.

Mukharjee urged the Sri Lankan government to follow up the military operations with a proper devolution of powers to the Provinces within the constitutional framework of Sri Lanka maintaining its territorial integrity.

Indian government, facing elections in few months of time, is under pressure from its Tamil coalition partners, mainly the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, led by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and wants to appease the political parties sympathetic to LTTE.

Sri Lankan government has repeatedly said it would not honor a LTTE called ceasefire unless the rebels lay down their arms.