Sri Lanka's LTTE turning to international apologists - British Conservative MEP

Mar 13, Colombo: British Conservative member of the European Parliament, Geoffrey Van Orden has said, the LTTE is now in a desperate end game and typically, in such situations is turning international apologists to get it off the hook.

Van Orden, who is the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Liaison Group told members of the European Parliament, that the greatest service all in this House can do is to call on the LTTE to lay down its arms and to release the civil population from its grip.

At the session on Wednesday, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire by the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE in order to allow the civilian population to leave the combat zone.

Van Orden noted that "for decades now, Sri Lanka has been afflicted by a terrorist campaign conducted by the internationally proscribed LTTE. There is no equivalence between terrorists and the legitimate armed forces of a democratic government. Let us remember that it was the LTTE that perfected suicide bombing as a tactic; that it pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks; that it makes undisguised use of child soldiers and of human shields."

The members of EP called on both sides "to respect international humanitarian law and to protect and assist the civilian population in the combat zone, as well as in the safe zone."