18 civilians belonging to 6 families, have fled from LTTE after been held captive for months and have sought protection with security forces at Omanthai, Monday (Dec 15) at around 3.30p.m.
The group included 11 men, 3 women, 3 boys and a girl who were reportedly from Oddusudan, Keridamadu and Mannakandal localities at Mullattivu district. According to Army sources, the civilians have made the escape from LTTE for 6 days until they reached the Omanthai Entry/ Exit point in Vavuniya.
These civilians have alleged LTTE terrorists for looting the large food stocks sent as humanitarian aid for the thousands entrapped with the outfit in Wanni. "We only receive a small portion of the food sent into Wanni", the civilians were quoted as further saying.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday (Dec 15) in a 17-page report, "Trapped and Mistreated: LTTE Abuses against Civilians in the Wanni," detailed how the LTTE is brutally abusing the Tamil population in the non-liberated Wanni regions.
"The LTTE claims to be fighting for the Tamil people, but it is responsible for much of the suffering of civilians in the Wanni," said Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch in a communiqué‚ released. "As the LTTE loses ground to advancing government forces, their treatment of the very people they say they are fighting for is getting worse", HRW further stated in the press release urging the LTTE terrorists to end its scourge of brutality.
"In the face of an ongoing government military offensive, the LTTE has increased the pressure on the civilian population under its control. Having long used a coercive pass system to prevent civilians from leaving areas it controls, the LTTE has now completely prohibited movement out of the Wanni, except for some medical emergencies. By refusing to allow displaced persons to leave for government-held territory, the group has severely restricted their access to essential humanitarian relief. Only about a thousand people have managed to flee the conflict zone since March 2008.
By refusing to allow people their basic rights to freedom of movement, the LTTE has trapped hundreds of thousands of civilians in a dangerous war zone," HRW further asserted.
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